


Ar Tonelico : From Discord to Harmony Part I - Asciydria

by Sapphirya



Series: Ar Tonelico : From Discord to Harmony [1]
Category: Ar tonelico
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-08-18 19:40:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 117,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8173618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphirya/pseuds/Sapphirya
Summary: "A child awakens in a strange place only to find herself carrying the fate of the world. Can this young Reyvateil and her sarcastic AI companion climb to the top of the tower in time to save it, or will it all come crashing down around them? Follow our heroine on her journey to save Asciydria Tower and to learn what it means to be a Tower Administrator."This is an Ar Tonelico alternate universe that features the existence of a fourth tower and a fourth Reyvateil Origin in a story where events of the third game fail to save the planet. How does this change things for the world of Ar Ciel?I wrote this with the intent for it to be a little more mature than the existing Ar Tonelico story. There are no plans for sexual content (sorry—not sorry), but expect violence and some coarse language. Part I mainly follows two original characters in an original location, but Part II will begin to bring in some of the Ar Tonelico characters and locations you know and love. Expect some of them to die eventually; this is an alternate universe, after all! No one is safe.  Asciydria Tower map





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Megan Evans](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Megan+Evans).



Darkness, confusion, disorientation. Walls all around, claustrophobia.

My eyelids fluttered weakly as I gained consciousness. I felt so light, as if I was floating in an endless void of nothingness. Instinctively I reached out, extending my withered, atrophied arms… and was abruptly stopped by something—a curved wall, the interior of a hollow tube. My lips parted to inhale a breath of air, yet a sudden torrent of fluid rushed down my throat. A flash of panic seared through my mind. I cried out, weakly pounding my fists on the inner surface of the chamber. A siren wailed from the outside, the sound muffled through the curved walls.

In an instant the cylinder rotated and split open, dumping my half-drowned body on the floor before I could think. I gasped on tenuous, frigid air—the first air I’d ever tasted. My hands trembled as I planted them on the icy metal surface, shivering uncontrollably. It was  _ bitterly _ cold, beyond anything I’d ever understood, and a thin layer of ice had already begun to encroach over my soaked skin.

A glacial wind whipped past my naked feminine form with a twisted howl, sending me into violent shivering spasms, arms tightly wrapped around my torso. I opened my eyes—only darkness met my gaze.

Blindness. Panic, fear, uncertainty.

“H—hello..?!” I croaked with difficulty, my first word snatched away by the gale-force winds. Only silence returned my muted cry.

“Is… is anyone there?! Please… I need help! I don’t know who I am, I can’t remember anything!”

I faltered for a moment as fragmented shards of memory resolved in my newborn mind.  _ Mother, father, brother, sister—family. I have a family… right? _

“…Mommy?” I tried feebly. “Daddy?”

Nobody came. I was alone here… wherever ‘here’ was.

With gargantuan effort I struggled to my feet, only for my knees to give out almost instantly. I hunched over, acutely feeling the cold. My extremities tingled faintly. I couldn’t understand how, but I somehow  _ knew _ that was bad.  _ Frostbite. It’s frostbite… how do I know what frostbite is…? Did anyone ever tell me? Have I seen it before? No, that’s impossible, I can’t remember it… _

_ I feel so weak… _ One hand extended out in front as I scooted along in a lopsided crawl, my elbows and knees scuffing on the ice-encrusted deck. The scrapes and dings were nothing compared to the plunging temperatures that assailed my skin.

Despite that, a faint sensation passed beneath my body—an indentation in the smooth floor. Something new, something different. Two fingers locked into the wide groove, having become the path that I blindly followed.  _ Please tell me this leads somewhere… I’m gonna die if I don’t get out of this weather. _

_ At least… my vision is starting to come. _ The void before my nascent eyes began to break apart, murky and blotchy shapes resolving in the space ahead.

Not enough to make a difference, though—my palm skidded on a smooth patch of ice, the surface unnaturally slick as if I was being  _ pranked. _ Unbalanced, I slipped and smashed my forehead on the deck. “Ow!”

However, it seemed that the bonk to my head was exactly what I needed… stinging pain notwithstanding. Dazzling light flooded my eyes as my vision swiftly improved, blurry shapes resolving into detail with sudden and astounding clarity. I couldn’t help but gasp in relief, one hand pressed against the throbbing bruise above my eyes.

_ Where is this…? _ Chancing it once more, I staggered to my feet, shivering violently all the while.

I cast my gaze about, examining the space that I found myself in. Top priority was an exit, or even some kind of shelter to protect me from the harsh and glacial winds.

I stood near the edge of a wide, circular plate of steel, thirty meters in diameter. The floor was littered with a wild tangle of cable bundles and wires, partially-buried beneath layers of ice.  _ Wherever _ this was, it was abundantly clear that it had been deserted for an incredibly long time.

Four large barrel-shaped objects lay spaced evenly along the disc-shaped platform’s perimeter, lying on their sides and pointing inwards. They dimly flickered with lights, each sustaining a small holographic display. Endless streams of glyphs scrawled across the tiny screens—they seemed tantalizingly-familiar. Somehow, I  _ knew _ them.

The very center of the circular platform was dominated by some kind of large, cylindrical apparatus. A countless number of cables and hoses emerged from the squat cylinder, hooked up to every electrical device in the area. Three transparent pods hung from the sides of the central structure, evenly spaced and linked up with even  _ more _ tubes and wires. With a flicker of realization, I understood that I had emerged from one of those chambers—the other two lay dormant, empty.

The circumference of the disc-shaped platform was surrounded by elongated sheets of blackened steel, extending outward from the center like enormous flower petals. Mounted on frozen hinges, the metal leaves appeared to be able to fold upwards, closing off the entire area from the elements.

I desperately wished that they  _ had _ been sealed; I could feel my newborn body beginning to shut down as my oxygen-deprived state took its toll, the cold doing the rest. My hands and feet were nothing more than frozen blocks of ice at this point, ears going numb. I gasped for breath in the thin air, my chest rising and falling rapidly as my lungs struggled for air. My vision flickered, a bout of lightheadedness sending me reeling.

There were no doors, no yawning corridors that led to shelter, but… my eyes locked on the barely-visible edges of a hatch, almost hidden beneath the layers of ice. I lurched over on unsteady legs, vision cloudy behind the mists of my breath. Blue-tinged fingertips tore frantically at the seams, but it was no use. The hatch wouldn’t budge. It had been fused shut after years and years of exposure to the bitter cold. My shoulders slumped in defeat.  _ There’s no way out… _

_ It’s not fair… I’ve only just been born, and I’m already gonna die here! _ I sniffed loudly, fighting back tears. Even though I didn’t yet know what it meant to live… I still didn’t want to  _ die. _

Lifting my head in despair, I caught a glimpse at the sky beyond the platform… and my jaw dropped, eyes widening with shock. With unsteady footfalls, I staggered over to the very edge of the disc, gaping at the vista.  _ No way… _

Sky—endless sky in every direction, a deep blue that faded to inky black at the edge of space. Countless points of light twinkled in the void. A gigantic purple moon hung low on the curved horizon, glittering with a tenuous system of rings.

_ The curved horizon of the planet… this is a planet, _ I thought to myself, resolute.  _ It’s called Ar Ciel. …Wait, how do I know that? _

I cast my gaze downwards, peering over the edge of the precipice. It was moments before I was forced to dizzily stumble back, stomach doing vertigo-induced backflips. Wherever this was, it was located incomprehensibly high in the air, practically at the edge of  _ outer space. _

The nearest layer of clouds was far, far below, almost invisible in the vast distance and resembling a giant quilted blanket. The puffy white mists spread across the world as far as the eye could see, hiding the entirety of the surface. No forest-green met my eyes, nor the azure-blue of the ocean, nor even the dull brown of dirt and mud. It cast the convincing illusion of a world without ground, of solely cloud and sky.

_ But… but even so… where is this? What am I standing on? _ Redoubling my courage, I inched back over to the edge of the abyss, peering down through the metal fins. What I saw made my heart stop, lips parted in mute awe.

The upper sections of an immense tower lay below, seemingly infinite in height and vast on all sides. It would have been a gross underestimation to compare it to mountain peaks—the structure was  _ beyond _ mountains. It was like comparing acorns to a majestic oak tree.

I couldn’t make out much detail from above—the spire’s own bulk obscured a great deal, its lower regions invisible behind vast stretches of plating and machinery. But even so, what I  _ could _ see took my breath away. I saw a pair of leaf-like fins larger than towns, rising vertically from a wider section fifteen kilometers down. I saw the curved side of a huge cylinder, glittering with ice crystals and slowly rotating in an eternal dance. I saw a vent large enough to fly airships through, pulsing with harsh blue light and spewing gas. And encircling it all, a pair of glittering and translucent rings orbited slowly, silently, shimmering with every color of the rainbow.

_ This is… incredible. _ Transfixed, it even took my mind off the cold. Now I cast my gaze upward, expecting to see the inky sky, yet only more steel met my gaze. I realized that I wasn’t even at the tower’s summit—it somehow kept going, rising up towards the darkness of outer space… and perhaps even beyond.

I had to stare for several long seconds to comprehend it. The ceiling above seemed to copy the platform beneath my bare feet, a ring of leaf-like metal plates encircling it in a mirrored fashion. The center of the upper disc was adorned by yet another squat pillar. It was then that I understood; the two sections were made to join together, ‘petals’ interlocking with their reflected brethren. Even the central apparatus appeared to be meant to extend downwards, meshing with the cylinder that had apparently housed my sleep pod since time immemorial. The entire structure lay nestled within an alcove within the spire’s flanks, a vast tower wall blocking a full third of the sky at my back.

I shivered once more, hugging myself as I turned my gaze back to the incredible view below.  _ If I have to die… at least I got to see something so beautiful before I went. _

Something caught my eye—a glimmer of light on my left forearm.

“What the…?” Icy fingers reached down towards the strange marking that adorned the limb, colored in with a beautiful blue ink.

_ Is this a tattoo…? Why do I have this? Is it an identification code of some kind? _ I tweaked the inked skin with a numb finger… and realized that the marking wasn’t inked. It was physically part of me. It was a socket.

My eyes snapped wide open, numb fingers locked onto the ornate symbol. Lines had been etched deep into the skin, carving out an ornate pattern vaguely shaped like a cross. A small depression at the center pushed deep into my arm, the empty space swirling with faint light—light that came from  _ inside _ my own body. A deep tremor traveled down my spine, scalp prickling.  _ This… this is a part of me?! _

I stumbled back a step, gaping in shock. My legs felt like jelly. “No way… no way…” I breathed. “What am I?!”

My question was immediately answered with a sudden rush of wind from behind, knocking me off-balance. Multiple patches of ice—as if in cahoots with the harsh tempest—found themselves perfectly positioned to help push me along—into open sky.

“No, no, no NO NO!” I shrieked as gravity joined in, taking hold as it inexorably dragged my body towards the waiting abyss.

My spine impacted something rigid as I bounced off the steel petals, the back of my head quickly following suit. It knocked me senseless, to the brink of unconsciousness. As a result, I barely felt anything when something in my arm gave way with a sickening snap, bashed against something solid and unrelenting as I slipped between the sheets of metal.

A feeling of vertigo, the howl of wind snatching at my ears, the lurch in my stomach at the sudden sensation of free fall… and nothing but infinite sky in every direction as I plunged towards the distant clouds.

**———————————————————**

_ “You were created for great things, Sylphira. We need you, more than ever in this time of great upheaval.” _

_ “…” _

_ “…Sleep well, little one. Wake when you’re ready. The others say that you won’t, that I have to let go… but I know that you’ll come around. Until you awaken and join us in this world, the tower guardians will watch over you and keep you safe. Just be sure that you return the favor in time… administrator.” _

**———————————————————**

I awoke suddenly with a choked, muted cry. Fire raged throughout my upper body, everything below the waist cold and numb. A dull ache throbbed in my neck, and a gentle whisper of a breeze tugged at my skin. Snow-white locks of hair wafted into my eyes, driven by the wind. My stomach growled like a wounded animal, throat as dry as the desert. I got the vague feeling that I’d been unconscious for a long time.

_ The fall… I’m alive…? _

With enormous effort, I lifted my heavy eyelids. From what I could tell thanks to my peripheral vision, I lay face-up in the middle of a lush forest. Tall stalks of grass tickled my shoulders, pebbles and dry needles digging sharply into my back. I flinched upon turning my gaze upwards; burning shafts of sunlight met my eyes, filtering down through a vibrant green canopy of coniferous foliage—from twisted cedars to graceful pines. I even caught a glimpse of two enormous redwood trees, rising far above their smaller companions.

The trees rustled quietly as a soft wind meandered through the woods, summoning a sudden rain of needles and leaves. A nearby creek chuckled and gurgled as water rushed between the rocks. A cacophony of countless birds accompanied by chirping crickets gave the vibrant forest a warm, inviting feel. I had the urge to leap to my feet, to run amongst the trunks and hear the crunch of deadwood beneath my feet… but I couldn’t seem to move my legs. 

_ How did I survive…? _ My gaze remained locked upwards, directed at a large hole in the weave of branches —presumably I’d created that on my descent, punching through the canopy at the end of my long fall.  _ If I’m in a forest now, then I must’ve fallen right off that tower. So that means… this is the surface! _

A sharp pain ripped through my body, drawing a moan from my lips. Taking stock of my physical state, things didn’t seem good.  _ I can’t feel my legs… or my right arm… or my fingers, ears, nose… maybe it’d be easier to think of what  _ doesn’t _ hurt. _

Experimenting, I rolled my right shoulder—the arm lifted weakly in response, uselessly dangling from the elbow at an odd angle. A faint bulge in the joint marked the presence of a jutting shard of bone; I was incredibly lucky that it didn’t burst free from the skin, or I likely would have bled out before even gaining consciousness.

I bit back tears, fighting the urge to cry. Chest heaving, I flipped the limb out of my sight.  _ Don’t think… don’t think about it… calm down, you need to get through this. Please hold it together, just for now… _

_ At least my left arm seems okay… I can’t feel my fingers, though.  _ The digits had turned black, badly damaged thanks to frostbite—but they were all I had. I snaked the limb down, exploring the rest of my naked body as I took stock of my condition.

_ Ow… _ Both of my legs flopped uselessly, immobile and lacking sensation as if they were no longer attached to my own body. My right arm was numb, the elbow having shattered into pieces. Scrapes and bruises crisscrossed my frame, and my nose and ears were heavily scarred by frostbite due to the icy temperatures from where I’d awoken.

_ I need… to get help… or I’m gonna die here. At least I can crawl with one arm… it’s gonna  _ hurt, _ but I can do this. _ Gritting my teeth, I braced my good arm against the ground, ready to push.  _ Flipping myself over… now! _

I choked on a horrible whistling  _ scream, _ numb fingers scrabbling at the dirt as a red-hot poker tore through my neck. It was if the flesh itself had been suddenly set alight. My body went limp a moment later, tumbling back into the foliage. I coughed hoarsely, choking on something warm and metallic that rose up from the back of my throat. A trickle of hot liquid made its way from the corner of my mouth.

It lasted for what felt like an eternity, leaving me whimpering in pain and terror—in actuality, it had merely been seconds. The sensation blessedly faded, leaving my mind clear… though my horror remained, eyes blurring with hot tears.  _ Oh no… oh no, no, no… _ With numb and trembling fingers I reached out for my throat, gingerly mapping it for injuries.

My wrist bumped against a rough, jagged object that penetrated deep into the flesh. It felt like…  _ bark. _ With mounting panic, I continued to explore; the piece of wood protruded clean through my neck, emerging from the nape and continuing deep into the ground, effectively anchoring me to the forest floor.  _ Oh god, no… _

_ I… I gotta be brave. _ Gritting my teeth, I pushed hard, struggling to lift myself from the jagged spike.  _ Come on… come on… _ A torrent of white-hot pain rushed through my mind, paralyzing my feeble attempt to pull free.  _ NO! NO, I CAN’T DO IT! It hurts… it hurts so much… _ A pained, hacking cough escaped my body, more flecks of blood wetting my lips. Unable to keep it up, my body went limp. I breathed shallowly, air whistling out through the puncture wounds in my throat. My heart pumped frantically, jump-started by pain and fear.

I had no other choice. I couldn’t get free. Inhaling long and hard, I cast my voice out with the intent to call out for help.

“Heeee…” I croaked inaudibly, the forced cry quickly decaying into a sickening whistle of air.

_ I can’t even cry out! My voice won’t work! _

“Heee… heeeeeelp…”

The shafts of sunlight began to fade from the canopy, the visible patch of blue sky overhead quickly shifting to a fiery orange—nighttime was approaching. Already, shadows of the trees began to encroach in a sinister fashion, darkness quickly spreading throughout the woods.

I was afraid of the dark.

**———————————————————**

Tear streaks cut through the grime on my cheeks as I sobbed, shivering in the frigid night air—partially from the cold, mostly out of sheer terror.

A heavy rasp emanated from a cluster of ferns at my side. It was the ominous sound of  _ breathing, _ no doubt belonging to some kind of predatory animal that hid amongst the deep shadows of the undergrowth, stalking me. Thanks to my feeble, wounded, and helpless state, I was essentially an easy meal to the denizens of the woods.

My chest heaved as I struggled for air, the puncture wounds in my neck combined with the sheer terror making it extremely difficult to breathe. I wasn’t sure what would kill me first—being devoured, or being suffocated.

_ I’m… I’m so scared! Someone, anyone, please  _ **_> HELP ME…<_ **

I hesitated despite myself, not doing so much as blinking.  _ What was that sensation…? _ Something had  _ changed _ in my mind, an ethereal barrier seemingly crumbling away. It felt as if I’d reached out into the empty void beyond the confines of my own consciousness, tugging on a waiting thread.

_ A thread from  _ what, _ though…? _

A low growl rumbled amongst the ferns, bare meters away. It cruelly drew me back to the situation at hand—my own death. The padding footsteps grew louder. I began to hyperventilate, trembling like a leaf.

I didn’t  _ want _ to see, but I had to. My eyes as wide as saucers, I rotated my head a few degrees—as much as I was able. A terrifying pair of luminous green eyes peered back at me through the brush, glowing brightly in the inky black. Moonlight glistened off its fangs as the presence snarled, preparing to pounce. I was unable to look away, watching with a sort of horrified fascination.

The creature howled in agony an instant later—a needle-thin spear of light descended from on high, impaling it. The charred scent of flesh filled my nostrils, making me gag.

A muted hum echoed amongst the tree trunks as an object smoothly descended from the canopy, suspended in midair. A powerful spotlight burst to life with a loud clunk, training on my limp form. I squinted, blinded by the sudden luminescence.

**> YOU REQUIRE URGENT MEDICAL ATTENTION,<** a mechanical voice calmly remarked.

**———————————————————**

**> WE WILL BE ARRIVING MOMENTARILY,< ** the same robotic voice announced, speaking with the same synthesized buzz as before. I went to nod in understanding, but my impaled neck made it impossible—not to mention excruciating.

I wasn't sure I remembered when I was moved to the stretcher, the stars twinkling overhead as they whisked me through the air—but it came to me in flashes.

When the spotlight had eventually faded, the strangest thing resolved in my vision. Hanging in the air was a mysterious robotic drone, clad in polished white plating and blinking with tenuous azure lights. A small assembly of sensors and lighting rigs mounted on its nose spun back and forth, surveying the dimly-lit woods while the machine called for a ‘recovery team’.

Vaguely shaped like a spinning top, the drone was about 45 centimeters at its widest and double the height. Its metallic body appeared to be made up of four main components—an oblong, armored fuselage at its core, spaced with hatches and sensors—a wide ring that encircled the fuselage at its midsection, made up of a plethora of fins and control surfaces—and two cylindrical engines attached to the ring on opposite sides, topped with intakes and ending in large thrust-vectoring exhausts at the base, from which colorless lights softly pulsed.

The next thing I knew, there were more of them. The night air was suddenly filled with a multitude of additional thrums. Four other machines had dropped from the leafy ceiling to join their ally. Three of the newcomers were identical to the first, their ringed bodies bobbing in the air. The fourth was something new, and much larger. About the size of a dining table, the drone featured four large exhaust vents that kept it aloft, lighting up the forest by themselves with harsh white light. As the machine descended to the forest floor, I caught a glimpse of its flattened dorsal side. A stretcher took up the majority of the drone’s upper surface, surrounded by a number of scanning devices and several small containers, secured in place with straps. Each one was proudly emblazoned with a red, cross-shaped symbol.

Agony. One of the drones had taken advantage of my distraction to cut through the shard of wood that had penetrated my neck, freeing me from the forest floor with a thin laser. Uncaring of the fact that I was writhing in pain, the four machines deposited me atop their larger cousin, grasping my limbs with arachnid robotic arms that extended from their bodies. Without delay, we ascended into the dark sky flying off to… who-knows-where.

Now as I was forced to look straight up, I stared at the sea of stars, unable to make out anything else in the gloom.  _ I… I still have so many questions. I know my name, though… At least, if that was me that the man in my dream was talking to. _

_ And if it was, then it means that my name is Sylphira. And, he called me an… administrator? I don’t know what that means… _

**> WE HAVE ARRIVED AT SECTION C, SILVAPLATE,<** the drone stated emotionlessly—though its synthetic voice was now undeniably tinged with a feminine tone. My ears began to pop rapidly as our aerial convoy shed altitude, the howling wind swiftly falling silent.

A vast, dark mountain that blotted out the very stars dominated the skyline ahead, the peak’s features invisible beneath the cloak of night. At the base of the mountain, a small doorway that shone with warm light beckoned invitingly. It seemed to tunnel deep within the innards of the rocky formation, leading towards the unknown.

Our small group descended into an empty field before the glowing portal, nearby treetops rustling softly under the assault from the machines’ wash of engines. As my consciousness began to wane the machines rushed through the immense doorway. It led into a dimly-lit corridor—the panelled walls were inlaid with bunches of cables and complex piping systems, many of them cracked and torn apart. The walls themselves were pockmarked and rusted, giving off the very clear notion that whatever or wherever this place was, it was  _ ancient. _

It was then that I realized how  _ exhausted _ I was, my eyelids struggling to remain open. I cast my gaze overhead once more, drowsily watching the flickering lights pass by. The hypnotic pattern helped soothe me to sleep, everything fading to black.


	2. Sentinel

“Ahh!”

I awoke with a sudden start—perhaps from another dream. Blinking dazedly in the bright lights, I found myself sitting bolt upright in a plush bed with silky sheets. A thick, cream-colored blanket covered my slim frame.

Rubbing the sleep dust from my eyes, I caught a detailed look at my surroundings. The bed that I lay in was pushed into the corner of a small, spartan room. Sparsely-decorated was a gross overstatement—aside from the cot that I lay in, only a haphazardly-stacked pile of plastic crates sat in the far corner of the room, piled against the bleached and sterile walls. Sunlight streamed in through a large window mounted on the wall… though upon closer examination, I realized that it was nothing more than a display screen, simply emulating a window. A pattern of sealed, circular hatches lay spaced out across the tiled floor, which gleamed like polished obsidian. At the foot of my bed, a yawning doorway led out into a familiar-looking corridor—the one I’d been carried through by those machine… things. A faint mechanical hum resonated from the hallway, a plethora of distant and incomprehensible pieces of machinery running.

 _On that note… why am I alone here?_ I peered around in silent confusion, half-expecting someone to come through the doorway in response to my thoughts. No one did, of course.

“Oh!” With a shock, I realized that I didn't _hurt_ anymore. Of course, my right arm felt stiff, my torso blotched with a multitude of bruises and crisscrossed with faint scars… but I was _okay._ I wiggled my toes experimentally, face lighting up with glee as the blankets shifted with movement. Reaching up with hesitant fingers to check my throat, I found only two patches of scar tissue—scars that would fade with time. Somehow, the wound that had penetrated right through my neck seemed as if it were already years old.

I released a loud sigh, my shoulders slumping with relief. “What happened to me?”

“You fell all the way from the Apex, _idiot,”_ A disembodied voice replied, smooth and feminine.

I couldn’t hold back the squeak of terror, covers flying off as I leapt from the bed. Long strands of hair tumbled down, tickling the backs of my bare thighs.

The same voice laughed quietly with a musical tone, echoing through the small room. I vaguely remembered hearing the same tone from the machines that had rescued me in the forest—though the unknown woman seemed more… _human,_ now.

A soft mechanical hum suffused the chamber, invisible projectors warming up as they came to life. A holographic figure appeared a moment later, floating in midair.

The small figure was tiny, standing a mere fifteen centimeters in height. She could have easily stood in the palm of my hand. Her pudgy, childlike body was shrouded in a modest navy blue robe, ending just above the knees to display a pair of stubby legs, pale in color. A small hood hung from her shoulders. Her no-nonsense face burned with a pair of large charcoal-gray eyes, topped with a mop of short, shaggy hair that shone a midnight-black. The figure peered deeply into my eyes, an exhausted and world-weary look plastered on her face.

“Um…” I hesitated. “Who… or _what…_ are you?”

The tiny figure’s pudgy face soured. “Broken spine… shattered elbow… countless bruises and lacerations… severe frostbite on your fingers, toes, ears and nose… and the _neck punctures!”_ she cried, waving stubby arms with annoyance. “You’re so, so lucky that the branch didn’t hit your spinal cord or arteries! You would’ve been dead _long_ before I found you. Anyway, I’m Sentinel,” she added as if an afterthought, folding her arms. “I’m the collective networked intelligence of the tower guardians… if that didn’t go sailing over your head. Basically, I’m an artificial intelligence—or an AI, to keep it short.”

I flinched at Sentinel’s brusque remarks, ruminating on her words. _Wait, she said…!_ “Tower… guardians? I thought I fell off that tower.”

She laughed softly, bobbing in the air as she drifted closer. “Well… you did… sort of. You fell from the Apex, which is all the way up in Section A, down here to Section C—that’s about fifty kilometers. The first step is a _real_ doozy!” My knees weakened at the thought, influencing me to plant my body back on the bed.

The AI paused for a moment, seemingly gathering her thoughts. “The only reason you’re not a puddle of goo on the forest floor was because Section B of the tower is shrouded in a cocoon of energy shields. The prome wall barrier caught you like a… fishing net, if you know what that is. It slowed your fall— _barely,_ but just enough nonetheless!”

Suddenly advancing to grab hold of my cheeks, Sentinel glared deep into my eyes. “You need to be _way_ more careful, though!” she scolded. “You’re the Tower Administrator; I can’t just have you galavanting around, risking your _life!_ Not when you’ve only just woke up. While I can’t argue against the entertainment value of base jumping from the Apex, odds are you’ll end up splattered somewhere on one of the islands.”

I shifted back, shaking her loose. “Get off! And… I don’t know what you mean when you say that…”

“Base jump. Noun. A sport comprised of jumping from struc—”

“Not _that,”_ I added hastily. “Administrator… I don’t know what that means.” Turning my gaze down, I peered at the socket on my arm that swirled with faint lights. I couldn’t describe it, but the mere sight of the odd marking sent a chill down my spine. “I don’t even know _who_ or _what_ I am.”

Sentinel raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. “…Huh. Really?” She sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose with clear exasperation. “This’ll be _fun…”_ The small AI closed the gap once more, uncomfortably close as a fire burned in her gray eyes. “Can you _walk,_ at least? I need you to come with me.”

I nodded obediently… and froze, catching a glimpse of my bare chest. I was naked. A strangled cry rose from my lips, a clump of wadded-up sheets and blankets covering my nether regions in an instant. “Um…! _CLOTHES?!”_

The AI rolled her eyes in an exaggerated fashion. “Don’t you have Linkage armor or something?”

I remained frozen in silent incomprehension, trembling slightly.

“…Never mind. The look on your face tells me that I might as well be speaking _Pastalie._ That aside, you’re aware that I’m just a collective of machines, right? I don’t care whether or not you wear clothes.”

“P—please!” I stammered, begging.

She huffed angrily, hologram flickering in time with her temper. _“Fine._ Give me a minute.” The AI’s brow furrowed, her eyelids closed.

“And… a mirror,” I added, hesitant. Sentinel slowly and eerily lifted her head, scalding me with a baleful glare before returning to her previous zen-like state.

**———————————————————**

I tweaked the soft fabric panels with a finger, a frown plastered across my face.”…This is made out of _what?”_

The AI released an explosive sigh of exasperation from her perch across the room—a small nub that jutted out from the wall. “…Like I just said, it’s symphonic power that was converted into solid matter. I honestly can’t believe you _don’t_ know this! For an Origin, this is basic knowledge… You don’t know what Origins are _either,_ do you?” Accusation entered her voice.

“Of course not!” I defended myself, wriggling my hips as I squeezed into an unremarkable pair of underwear. “How would I know—I was only born _yesterday!_ Literally and figuratively!”

Sentinel sighed yet again, banging her tiny head against the bulkhead and muttering all the while. “They pre-programmed you with the ability to crack dumb jokes, but couldn’t even be bothered to drop in so much as a primer course in sound science? I continue to question the intelligence of my builders. Well, either _that,_ or something in your brain got _borked._ It’s just another thing that we’ll need to deal with. For now, just finish putting on your clothes and _let’s go_ already!”

A long moment of uncomfortable silence persisted before the AI finally spoke, her voice tinged with a hint of remorse. “…I’m sorry, by the way.”

I lifted my gaze, in the midst of pulling a loose undershirt over my head. “Sorry…? For what?”

Sentinel glanced from side to side, apparently nervous. “Well… you’re my _administrator!_ I exist, alongside my tower guardians, for the sole purpose of protecting both you and the tower. It’s just…” she trailed off, mellowing out. “I haven’t talked to anyone else—or even _seen_ anyone else—for _centuries._ It’s been… more than a little lonely… and I’m really out of practice when it comes to even basic conversation. I’ve been short with you, and I’m sorry.”

Her statement elicited a gasp as I buckled a charcoal-gray skirt around my waist. “It’s okay, I can understand your frustration… I think. But… _centuries?_ Really? How old are you?”

The AI paused for a moment, biting her lip while she dredged up ancient memories. “Construction of this tower began in the year 3014. I first came online fifteen years later in a big laboratory complex at the construction site. That was in 3029, though you couldn’t really call me ‘alive’ then; at that point I was nothing more than a couple simple computer systems hooked up together. Heck, I didn’t even have _consciousness_ yet! But, that brings me to my point… the current year is 3770, which makes me a whopping 741 years old.” I couldn’t help but feel awed, buttoning up a collared and sleeveless top, the fabric tinged a lovely sky-blue.

Sentinel sure seemed to enjoy talking—she continued, both eyes locked on me from across the room. “Awful social skills aside, though… I’m _really_ glad that you woke up! I’m at the end of my rope here.”

“…I don’t get it.”

“Well,” she replied, tiny holographic displays resolving about her body, “over the centuries I’ve been keeping an eye on things—the tower’s structural state and the world itself. Y’know, atmospheric conditions, radiation levels, climate patterns… anything I can see from up here. Which, sadly, isn’t much; my drones aren’t exactly designed for all this. We need to _act_ as soon as possible, and I can’t do it without the administrator!”

I frowned pensively, soft fabric sliding over my skin as I pulled up a pair of socks. “Without… me? What’s happening? I don’t understand…”

The small AI seemed to flinch, collapsing in on herself. “Both the tower and the planet are literally _falling apart._ The tower is a more immediate thing, but… I mean, it’s that versus the _entire planet!_ It’s pretty obvious what the priority here should be. I’ll skip the history and scientific lessons for now, but our planet—Ar Ciel—got… uh, a little bit _screwed up_ by incredible disasters a long time ago, and it’s been deteriorating ever since. If my estimates are right—and I trust my guesses more than most peoples’ facts—then Ar Ciel will come apart at the seams within a decade.”

_At the seams?!_

“We need to get in contact with the other towers,” Sentinel finished with a worried breath. “That is… if they even still exist anymore. Maybe we can get help.”

My eyes widened in shock, breath taken away. For the barest of moments, I forgot about the urgency at hand. “Other towers? You mean, there’s _more?”_

The AI nodded sagely, black hair falling into her eyes. “That’s right. There should be _three_ other towers…” she mumbled something under her breath, “that is, if those guys who went up north did their _jobs_ right.” Shaking her head wearily, she continued her thought. “There _should_ be three other towers… but I have no idea if they exist anymore. Asciydria Tower’s largest antennae were fried seven hundred years ago, and the smaller arrays on my drones didn’t last much longer thanks to solar radiation. We’re cut off here.”

I inclined my head, understanding the urgency—if not the nuances behind it. “So,” I began, down on one knee as I pulled on a pair of boots, “I guess… if I’m supposed to help you save the world, then we’d better get started.” I didn’t know why I had phrased it in such a way, but it just seemed… _right._ The AI had noticed, too; Sentinel’s unreadable gaze penetrated deep into my eyes. What she was looking for, I didn’t know.

**———————————————————**

I stared pensively into the small mirror, knuckles whitened as I gripped the handle. A small girl stared back at me, her soulful, ocean-blue eyes glittering with uncertainty.

She couldn’t have been more than twelve—her body had only just scratched the oncoming walls of puberty, the barest of curves gracing her slim frame that would undoubtedly flourish in the coming years. Long strands of snow-white hair shimmered under the artificial lights, falling into her face and down to the backs of her knees. Shaggy and unkempt, it had clearly grown out during her slumber—however long that was. Her fair skin was practically _bleached_ white, having been sealed within a pitch-black pod since time immemorial. The girl’s face was round and soft, with delicate bone structure and a significant amount of baby fat in her cheeks. The center of her visage was adorned with a diminutive button nose. A small mouth lay beneath it, marked with emotive and slightly glossy lips.

She seemed to radiate an aura of timidity and inexperience, the girl’s body language speaking volumes of her strength and fortitude—or lack thereof.

I took a long moment to twist my face, running through a number of bizarre and varied facial expressions. “…Neat.”

A sardonic laugh erupted from Sentinel, who watched restlessly. “Of all the things I expected you to say, that wasn’t one of them.”

I ignored the jab, setting the mirror down on the bedside before turning to face her. “Um… by the way,” I ran my fingers experimentally through a handful of soft white hair, “would you happen to have some kind of… um, blade… or other sharp thing around here?”

Sentinel rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. “Oh, come on. Offing yourself is a little bit dramatic, isn’t it? I mean, you don’t look _that_ bad.”

“That’s _not_ what I…”

The AI giggled softly, a striking contrast to her previous attitude. “Check those crates over there,” she gestured to the far corner of the room where the stack of containers lay. “I had these brought down last night while you were under; they’re filled with medical supplies and survival gear. I’m pretty sure that there’ll be _something_ you can use in there.”

I panted with exertion, fighting at the topmost crate with atrophied muscles. The large containers had apparently been vacuum-sealed; at last, the lid popped off with a faint hiss. Peering in apprehensively, I earned an eyeful of a plethora of small white boxes, emblazoned with the same red cross-shaped symbol as the stretcher drone from before.

“Those are medical supplies,” a voice spoke directly in my ear with uncomfortable proximity.

“Gah!” I practically jumped out of my skin, whirling around to spot Sentinel hovering directly over my shoulder.

She raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Giving the intruding figure an eyeroll, I plunged both hands into the open crate, poring through the contents. It wasn’t long before I had found my first ‘prize’—a long strip of white cloth, a bandage.

Exhaling with relief, I hastily wrapped the cloth about my forearm… and the strange marking that pulsed with light. The AI gave me a silent, questioning look.

I returned it with a shrug of incomprehension. “I can’t explain it, but… I just feel really weird walking around with it hanging out. It makes me feel like I’m naked.”

“Fair enough…” the AI muttered.

Continuing my hunt through the pile of mixed containers, I drew forth a number of useful supplies—first aid kits, preserved food packages, bottles of purified water, heavy tarps, and wool blankets. And finally, upon opening the last crate, I found what I had been seeking. “Here we go!”

“It’s always the last one…” Sentinel breathed to herself, waiting impatiently.

I dug through the innards of the final container, poring over the incredible variety of tools and bits of equipment. At the bottom of the bin, my digits closed around the object I’d been searching for—I drew forth a wicked-looking knife, encased in a hardened plastic sheath. Wrapping a hand around the firm rubber grip, I gingerly drew the blade from its sheath. The polished silver metal gleamed in the artificial light. About twenty-five centimeters long, the tool was enormous in my hands. A little over a third of its length was taken up by the handle and guard. The blade was single-edged—very keen, tapering off to a rather sharp point—but it sported a deep series of serrations along the back edge.

I gave a small smile. “This is exactly what I wanted!” Reaching back with my free hand, I grasped a large wad of hair, lifting it above my head like a sacrificial offering.

“Oh, wait just a second!” Sentinel interrupted, a sly tinge in her voice. “If you’re trying to get rid of your hair, I’ve got you covered!” A large tangle of haphazardly-mounted robotic arms unfolded from the ceiling, each one wielding various types of medical knives and scalpels… and more than a few bonesaws and witheringly-large needles. The entire rig seemed as if it had been hastily welded together in the last twenty-four hours. “I can take it all off, right down to the scalp!”

I let out a nervous laugh, skirting away from the nest of machinery. “Um… thanks, but… no thanks. I just wanna get rid of _some_ of it. It’s been bugging me, and I think I’d prefer short hair anyway.”

I carefully positioned the large blade—and with a swift sawing motion, I effortlessly cut through the thick strands. A faint gasp of satisfaction rose from my lips as the heavy tugging sensation on my scalp vanished. Wildly swinging my head around, I enjoyed the feeling of cool air on my now-exposed neck. The AI sighed, losing interest. “How boring.”

Hopping to my feet, I swiftly made my way back to the cot. Grabbing the mirror, I peered in with some apprehension, half-expecting to see a mangled and uneven mop. It was not the case, though; my hair now only extended just past my chin. I brushed long bangs out of my eyes, smiling. “Much better!”

Sentinel glared disapprovingly at the large mess of hair on the tiled floor. “Organics are _disgusting.”_ She snapped her stubby fingers, a tiny arachnid drone scurrying into the room an instant later. Chirping quietly, the small machine nudged the clumps of loose strands towards one of the innumerable circular hatches recessed into the surface. Metallic pings emanated from beneath the floor as the hatch rotated, splitting open to reveal a dark shaft. Working quickly, the machine shoved the tangle of white hair into the yawning pit. The shaft immediately flared up with flickering orange light, accompanied by the faint rush of igniting flames. The foul odor of burning hair reached my nostrils.

“How do you people _live_ with yourselves?” Sentinel questioned incredulously, her small tower guardian skittering from the room as the hatch resealed with a muffled clunk.

Arms crossed impatiently, the AI bumped up against the steel bulkhead. “Anyway, can we _go_ now? You slept in really late, and most of the day’s already gone!”

I held up a finger, heading back to the stack of containers. “Sorry, almost done… give me just another minute!” Digging through the bottom container once more, I extracted several more objects—one of which being a heavy belt, molded from blackened leather. Returning my new knife to its sheath, I clipped it onto a belt loop, wrapping the whole thing around my narrow waist. The plastic scabbard lightly slapped against a hip as I drew forth a white hooded cloak, found in the pile of clothing Sentinel had brought me earlier. Swinging it over my shoulders, I clumsily fastened the clasp above my collarbone.

 _Last thing._ Hefting a small rucksack from the crate, I quickly stuffed it with a sparse number of supplies—a first aid kit just in case, a few packaged meals, and a pair of water bottles. Slinging it over one shoulder, I got to my feet. “Okay, I’m all set now.”

Sentinel nodded gratefully, gesturing to the doorway. _“Finally._ The place we’re heading to is beyond the range of my holographic projectors, so I’m gonna send a tower guardian to meet you on the outside. We’re going for a little _walk.”_ The AI drifted through the exit, her holographic figure fading into nothingness as she crossed the threshold.

I followed suit, cautiously stepping out into the dimly-lit hallway that I recognized from the previous night. _This is the corridor that those machines carried me through… it’s weird, though. That little room is so clean; yet only a couple steps out, it’s completely run-down._ Listening carefully, I heard something that I hadn’t heard before; the haunting exhale of what sounded like an enormous pipe organ, echoing through the unknown structure’s innards from a source indescribably far away. A prickle went down my spine.

Down the right-hand passage, I flinched at a dazzling flash of sunlight from the end of the tunnel. Guessing that was where I was meant to go, I began my short trek down the corridor, my atrophied legs already beginning to ache with exertion.

Minutes later, I stepped from the large portal into the daylight. Lush stalks of grass tickled my bare knees, a wonderfully-soft breeze caressing my bare arms. I held a hand up in front of my face, squinting—the sunlight was blinding to my newborn eyes. With a swift motion, I reached back and flipped the hood of my cloak up, the heavy fabric shrouding me as a shadow descended over my face. Relieved, I finally got the opportunity to gaze at my surroundings.

I stood in a tall sea of vibrant green grass, stalks bending to and fro as they were buffeted by a light wind. The entirety of the open field was littered with immense, smooth boulders, the remnants of a glacier that had passed across the land countless centuries ago. A deep lake of crystal clear water lay at the far end of the field, carved out of the rocky terrain by the ancient wall of ice. The buzz of innumerable insect swarms and the ceaseless croaking of frogs filled the afternoon air.

A wide variety of hardy trees—gnarled cedars and proud pines—tenaciously sprung from crevices among the rocks, gradually thickening into a dense coniferous forest in the distance. A chorus of bird cries rose from among the branches, evidence that life flourished here. Spaced out amongst their smaller cousins, gigantic sequoia trees soared above the woods, acting as guardians of the forest.

Beyond the woodlands, the thicket of conifers thinned out and gave way to rocky slopes at the foothills of an immense mountain range, their summits capped with a dusting of snow. Light breaths of cloud came off their peaks, dissipating seconds later in the choppy air currents at higher altitudes. Several large glaciers stealthily lurked amongst the valleys between the rocky giants, leaving behind clean streams of water and enormous boulders as they continued their trek across the land.

I turned my gaze to the left, and saw only more mountains. I turned my gaze to the _right,_ and saw… nothing but open sky. The ground simply fell away into oblivion. Tenuous patches of cloud parted at that moment, the sight taking my breath away.

Numerous islands rode in the sky, bobbing on the air currents. Some were relatively small, only a hundred meters in diameter and scraped bare of life—others were truly enormous, large enough to host their own lakes and mountain ranges. It suddenly clicked for me; the ground where I stood was no different. “This place… is an island in the sky?”

“That wasn’t already obvious?” Sentinel’s voice emanated from a nearby source, imbued with static. “These are the Isles of Aria.” I turned around at the sound of her voice, and spotted a _massive_ drone standing in the shadow of a huge boulder. Standing on four powerful, tree-trunk legs, it must have been almost three meters tall and double that in length. A wicked-looking horn protruded from the machine’s elongated snout, flickering with dull wisps of energy. An immense set of jaws glistening with pearly white teeth snapped once—it could have crushed reinforced steel with ease. A pair of ghastly glowing eyes glared balefully in my direction. I couldn’t explain it, but the tower guardian’s face was beyond terrifying. Vaguely human-shaped yet elongated, its features worked in sequence with an oversized maw to create a profound feeling of wrongness. The machine probably could have killed someone just by _looking_ at them the wrong way.

Two razor-sharp spikes rose from the behemoth’s powerful shoulder blades, making it look even more intimidating than it already did. Covered in heavy sections of plate armor, polished to a sheen, the tower guardian was evidently built for one thing and one thing only—obliterating its victims in the blink of an eye. Strips of pulsing blue light ran across its armored flanks, partially illuminating the blackened mechanical inner workings of the drone.

I stumbled back in mute terror, landing on my backside amongst the tall stalks of grass.

The AI burst out with raucous laughter, emanating from the behemoth. “Administrator? You know that it’s just _me,_ right?”

“Shut your face…” I muttered softly as I clambered back to my feet, cheeks burning with mortified embarrassment. Lifting my head… something in the corner drew my eye, a formless shape obscuring the sky. I squinted with incomprehension, unsure of what exactly I was looking at. _No, that’s… that’s not real… is it?_ I craned my neck upwards, eyes widening as they struggled to take in the sheer scale of what I was looking at.

The gigantic mountain from the night of my injuries, the one that housed that tiny room, the endless hallway, and blotted out the stars themselves… it wasn’t a mountain. It was nothing more than a small part of the whole.

At last I understood. _That’s… Asciydria Tower. It’s enormous._

What I’d assumed was a mountain was in actuality a squat cylinder, perhaps five kilometers in diameter and gouged with innumerable scars from the floating islands that encroached on its flanks. Its worn surface had been consumed by splotches of rust, grime, and wild patches of vegetation, almost hiding the once-smooth white plating that made up the object. Soaring up from the center of the cylinder rose a gargantuan pillar, punching through tenuous wisps of cloud as it soared into the sky. In stark contrast to the object it emerged from, the pillar was made from a charcoal-gray steel plating. Amongst the wispy clouds, I could barely make out strange pieces of architecture anchored to the column’s upper flanks.

On the pillar’s south face, a complex system of vertically-oriented pipes clung to the curved wall, still gleaming a bright silver despite the structure’s weathered state. It was at that moment that I realized with clarity— _that_ was the source of the eerie whistling moans emanating throughout the long corridor within the spire.

On the opposite facing to the north, the column bulged out from the side of the tower, forming a sort of platform that extended out into the open sky. I couldn’t see much detail from all the way down at my vantage point, but I caught a glimpse of building rooftops, of great scaffolding networks, of enormous construction cranes that dwarfed the tallest trees. _It’s… a dock for… airships, I think._

The wrecked hull of an airship clung to rusted docking clamps at the skydock’s terminus, the vessel itself almost as big as a mountain. Though it had apparently seen better days; its skin was flayed, ragged patches flapping in the wind. The hull had seemingly been ensnared by giant roots, anchoring it to the harbor in the sky for all time. Trees grew from the crevices in its skin, and a small waterfall cascaded out through a gash in its midsection, the tumbling water turning to mist on its long descent.

The remainder of the column’s surface was covered in huge metal plates and lengths of piping, large enough to fly small aircraft through. Trees and shrubs sprung from any surface they could find purchase on, creating a network of roots that stretched from ledge to ledge. Lakes took up residence in natural hollows across the tower’s flanks, and multiple waterfalls tumbled into the abyss below. Altogether, it created an incredible blend of nature and technology.

Ever higher, the column vanished into a sheath plated in white metal that flared outwards, the tower widening. The sheath was, again, obscured by patches of grime and vegetation that had seemingly consumed the entirety of the structure. Around this sheath, a ring of eight enormous plates orbited, glinting with sunlight as they spun through the sky in an eternal dance. Deep grooves etched into their polished white surfaces seemed to radiate pure energy. Indeed, small bolts of lightning even arced between them, the soft rumble of thunder echoing in the distance.

Beyond that, the sheath ended suddenly to reveal the pillar once more… which erupted outwards into a superstructure that dwarfed any other part of the tower—and one that wouldn’t have any trouble housing its own cities. Altogether, the superstructure must have been at least twenty kilometers tall, taking up the bulk of the spire’s midsection.

To me, the tower section almost resembled the head of a bird of prey, beak pointing into the wind. The most striking feature of the ‘head’ shape was undoubtedly the singular eye, visible at the dead center of the structure—presumably, the far side of the tower looked identical. The eye’s pupil was made up of an enormous white disc, stained with patches of rust. A brilliant luminescence emanated from a circular chasm that ran around the disc’s circumference—the iris. A sort of ring or collar encircled the outer rim of the man-made canyon, making up the eye’s sclera—the white found in an eye. The entirety of the assembly spewed thick clouds of gas, dissipating in the atmosphere. It was evident that the ‘eye’ was in actuality an immense exhaust vent, linked up to some kind of engine or power source located in the depths of the superstructure.

The bird’s ‘beak’ shape was formed by an enormous opening that was recessed deep into the tower’s structure, in front and beneath the large eye-shaped vents. From down here, it almost seemed like a sort of hangar, similar to the skydock on the lower parts of the tower.

Indeed, the superstructure even had a sort of elaborate crest, bristling with ‘feathers’ in the form of enormous winglets, rising from above the beak and descending from behind the eyes. The remainder of the crest was formed with a large, bulky module that soared out from the back of the tower’s ‘head’. I couldn’t describe it, but something about that simple module seemed aweing. Recessed with large exhaust vents and clearly showing the seams of some enormous hatch, I couldn’t deny being curious about what said hatch was meant to contain.

The tower continued to rise up past the superstructure, incomprehensibly tall and almost beyond my range of vision. Ice crystals glistened on the tower’s flanks at higher altitudes. I caught a glimpse of a single point of burning light, radiating with incredible brilliance from the sides of a slowly-rotating cylinder, an object that I’d spotted when I’d awoken on that icy platform… but that was it. The top of the tower was obscured by its own sheer bulk.

An armored paw lightly batted at my shoulder, almost knocking me to the ground. “Hey, close your mouth, will you? I can take this body and practically _walk_ it down your throat.”

I slowly rotated to face Sentinel, eyes as wide as saucers. My voice shook as I pointed with a trembling hand. “That’s… that’s a really big tower.”

The machine huffed with amusement. “You’re telling me. Besides, you’re the one that _fell_ off it.”

Still in awe, I nodded shakily. “How tall is it?”

The tower guardian’s immense head lifted to stare up at the spire. “From anchor to summit, it stands at 105 kilometers. The tower’s summit itself rises just above the edge of the atmosphere.”

“That’s… wow…” I trailed off, astounded.

We were both silent for a long moment. I continued to stare up at the immense structure, transfixed by the hypnotic movements of the orbiting plates.

The AI finally broke the silence. **> SO,<** she boomed, stomping an armored foot against the boulder. The ground shook, eliciting a sudden shriek of distress on my part. **> LET’S GO!<**


	3. Lessons

A vicious, howling wind snatched at my clothing, tearing the hood from my head as I sat down on the edge of the precipice. Cautiously I stretched my legs out into the abyss, allowing them to dangle freely in the air.

The small AI flinched, precariously balanced on my shoulder. Somehow, her holographic body actually had a physical form. The giant tower guardian hosting her hologram snorted, lying in the shadow of an immense redwood amongst the trees to our backs. “Hey… you know what I said earlier about being more careful because of the whole ‘administrator’ thing? That… includes hanging body parts out over a  _ bottomless abyss, _ you know!”

I smiled playfully, swinging my legs as a light feathering of puffy white clouds scudded by. The sun was already low on the horizon, the sky shot with tenuous streaks of dusky gold. “I think after living through that  _ last _ fall, I could take this one, too. I just need some trees to break my landing!”

Sentinel laughed sarcastically—a dry, bitter sound. “Hah. Hah. Hah. No, you  _ couldn’t _ handle this one. Trust me. You’d be dead the second you hit the clouds.”

“Oh…” I gingerly pulled away from the ledge.

A long moment of silence passed. Thin stalks of grass rustled in the wind, tickling my bare knees. The air smelled wonderful—tasty and fresh.

Finally the AI spoke, biting her lip hesitantly. “There’s… a lot of things you don’t know. I don’t understand  _ why, _ that’s not the way things were supposed to happen… but that’s the way it is, and we’re just gonna have to deal with it.”

“Supposed to happen…?”

“You were supposed to  _ know stuff!” _ the AI wailed in exasperation, throwing her arms up. “That’s what they said, at least… but I mean, you also weren’t supposed to just  _ sleep _ for three quarters of a millennium, so… we can count having you at all among our blessings, I guess. Point is,” she glared in my direction, “you need to learn how to be an administrator. I can help you with some of that, by teaching you. I don’t particularly  _ enjoy _ that sort of thing, but ultimately it’s in both of our best interests.”

“…If you don’t like it, then why are you helping me?”

Sentinel gave me an incredulous look. “Uh… I get to continue  _ existing? _ How’s that for a motive? The tower’s on the brink of collapse, after all. I’d have to be the dumbest AI ever not to seize the opportunity to save it!”

_ So that’s all I am, then… a means to an end. _ “Okay…” I whispered, subdued. My eyes stung.

The AI pressed a tiny flickering hand against my cheek. “Hey,” she said encouragingly. “This is for your benefit, too. After all, if the tower ends up collapsing you’ll die as well.”

“That… doesn’t make me feel any better at all…”

“In fairness, it wasn’t meant to.” Sentinel folded her arms. “It is the  _ truth, _ though, and the sooner we bring you up to speed the better. We should begin.” She nodded towards the horizon, where the sun was just starting to kiss the tops of the clouds on its descent. “We don’t have much time left in the day, and there’s much to talk about.” 

The tiny figure alighted on the grass before my crossed legs, standing on the edge of the precipice. “You, the tower, the world—and the universe itself even—all arise from a single source, the root of everything. That ‘everything’ is  _ waves. _ The study of such is called wave theory, sound science, phonetics… really, you can pick your poison. So let’s start there.”

“Why do I get the feeling that this is gonna go way over my head?” I murmured wearily, heart sinking. Even so, I felt something stirring within—a faint twinge of recognition. I was  _ meant _ to know this. Somehow, I was certain of that.

“I’m gonna try and keep this simple, both for the sake of your understanding and for my own sanity. You don’t need to be a physicist to get a loose handle on things—though to be fair, you’ll probably end up as knowledgeable as one by the time you’re properly set up as Tower Administrator, but I digress.

“Like I said before,” she began. “Everything—and I mean  _ everything— _ is made up of waves, even solid matter. To dumb it down immensely, there are two types… I mean, there is a  _ third _ type, and a  _ fourth _ type, and a  _ fifth _ type, and so on… but that’s beside the point! Two types, the most common ones—detail waves and hymmno waves. Each of those in turn has two subtypes—static and dynamic. The different wave types make up every element, breath of energy, and component in our universe.” The AI raised an eyebrow. “You with me so far?”

“Detail waves and hymmno waves, static and dynamic,” I repeated, a grimace plastered on my face. Absentmindedly I rubbed my forehead, feeling a faint yet painful pressure from within.

“There just might be hope for you yet!” The AI playfully ribbed, ignoring my mild discomfort. “I’m gonna move on to what each wave type does, then. It’s actually pretty simple!

“Static detail waves—or static D-waves, for short—comprise most of the physical matter on this planet,” she explained, scrounging up a tiny stone among the blades of grass. “The strength and direction of the wave’s frequencies decides what state it is—be it solid, liquid, or gas. Static D-waves are generally characterized by remaining in their current state unless acted on by another wave. So, for example—” the AI lifted the pebble once more, “—this is made up of static D-waves in a solid form. If you were to apply a dynamic D-wave in the form of heat to it, then it’d turn into molten rock—or more accurately, the individual elements making up the rock would turn to liquid. Effectively, you’d have changed the wave state from solid to liquid.” She cast the pebble out into open sky. “Understand?”

“Yes…” I replied fuzzily, listening as best I could. I flinched suddenly—the pressure seemed to have increased.  _ Headache… _

Sentinel continued at my confirmation. “The next type is called the dynamic D-wave, and it’s here where things start getting weird, so hold onto your butt. Dynamic waves are special because of their fluid state; they can  _ change. _ This wave type is the origin of all forms of energy—whether that be heat, electricity, gravity, or other more… obscure forms. The cool part, though, is because of the nature of waves, they can be  _ replicated _ and used for other purposes.”

She laughed suddenly. “The simple people of the past called it magic—well, they still do, so I guess that doesn’t really say much in the end. It’s the generation and manipulation of the waves that make up the world’s energy and matter, via means originating with the psyche.”

“Wait, wait, wait!” I exclaimed, the pain momentarily forgotten. “Magic? For real? Like… literal magic? Shooting fireballs and bolts of lightning?”

She rolled her eyes. “No, I’m  _ screwing _ with you because it’s in my best interest to feed you  _ fantasies and nonsense _ . It’s more or less exactly what you’re thinking. It’s a simple matter of manipulating waves to form the desired energy or matter type.”

I gave her an inquisitive look. “How…?”

“Well,” the AI replied, “how do you think one would manipulate the waves that make up everything in the universe? Through song, of course! That’s why we call it song magic; though in reality, that name is more or less historical. All pre-scientific use of magic was through song, but… basically, it’s a lot more complicated than that.

“However, song magic can only be reasonably performed when in range of a symphonic amplification tower. Without a tower, unless you had a ton of people singing together, very little would actually happen.” She pointed up at the massive spire that loomed overhead, blotting out a full third of the sky. “There are only three amplification towers in the whole world. This is one of them—Asciydria Tower.”

“Oh…” Another sharp pain impacted into my forehead, as if something was trying to burst free of the skull. I gingerly rubbed at it, wincing.

This time, Sentinel noticed. “Hey, administrator, this  _ really _ isn’t that complicated. These are only the very basics, and I haven’t even gotten to H-waves yet!”

“It hurts…”

She frowned, her pudgy face resolving with alertness. Her brusque, dismissive manner seemed to fall away. “Hurts? What hurts?”

“Head…” I moaned, rocking back and forth with a hand plastered on my temple.

“Maybe we should stop here for now, then.” The AI gained a look of discomfort. “I’m sure it’s nothing… it’s only because this is your first day. It’s a lot to take in all at once.” She couldn’t manage to hide the uneasy skepticism in her voice.

“You know something… don’t you…?” I accused weakly.

The AI shook her head slightly, brow creased in a frown. “Just a suspicion. I’d need to take a look inside your skull to confirm, but I don’t have the means to do so.” She lifted up into the air, hologram flickering as she moved closer towards the frightening tower guardian. “Here, hop on.”

I winced in pain as I stood, splotches of color dancing before my eyes. My vision swam, the sensation of intense vertigo piling on top of the other ailments. “Back to the… um, silvaplate…?”

“Nope!” she said brightly. “I might actually be able to get you some help  _ elsewhere. _ It’s a nice place too, I promise!”

**———————————————————**

**“** …So anyway,” she continued, unfazed, despite my delirious state, “the other wave type I wanted to discuss is something called the hymmno-wave—or H-wave—which divides into static and dynamic… and this is where things get  _ really _ weird. I suppose you could call it life energy—It’s the soul, the consciousness. In particular,  _ yours. _ Static H-waves are what allow certain artificial lifeforms to flourish—among other things—because of their characteristics; they make excellent processing architecture for minds. Without static H-waves, you would not exist.”

“Mmh…” I murmured drowsily, enjoying the sensation of cool metal pressed against my cheek. The enormous machine beneath my body rocked back and forth, stomping through the murky forest. A roof of pine boughs passed overhead, low enough that if I had been sitting upright, I would’ve gotten a face full of needles and sap.

“Where are we going…?” I blinked slowly, eyes bleary. We seemed to be heading down into a valley lined with rocky cliffs, the terrain angling into a downward slope. A thin mountain stream rushed down the middle of the channel, vanishing into the depths of the forest at the base of the incline.

“It’s a place called Mist’s Reach,” the AI replied vaguely. “Trust me, you’d rather see it for yourself than have me explain it.

“In light of that, let’s wrap this up quickly; you flat-out lack the ability to forget, so there shouldn’t be any problems with continuing. The final wave type we’re gonna discuss—er, one-sidedly discuss—is called the dynamic H-wave. This wave type makes up the thoughts, impulses, and emotions currently flowing through your mind. Once you’re done with them, they turn into static H-waves to be archived away. Also it’s this wave type that allows people to manipulate magic, so remember it!”

The AI paused for the briefest of moments, looking over my condition. “We’ll go over it in more detail in the future when I’ll actually have you trying it out  _ for real. _ For now, this is a sort of… brief summary? Just to have you dipping your toes in.

“Song magic can be shaped through several means, neither of which are mutually exclusive. The primary and most powerful means is the use of dynamic H-waves—your impulses and emotions—to create and shape matter and energy via conversion and manipulation of dynamic D-waves. The secondary means would be the vocalization of specific words that invoke emotions and waves. Though, that method is flawed in that it pales in strength compared to the raw power of one’s emotions.” The AI snickered, shaking her head. “I suppose that’s the irony there! Song magic doesn’t even  _ need _ song to be manifested anymore. How weird is that?

“To sum up what it actually  _ does, _ song magic is used for the output of specific wave forms—like fire, lightning, solid matter, almost anything you can think of. That’s the gist of it, at least. Those are the basics; you’ll get more adept with the stuff as you grow.”

She peered back at me in a concerned manner, her hologram hanging in the air above the tower guardian’s gigantic head. “Administrator, don’t fall asleep. Right now, sleeping is the  _ worst _ possible thing to do; you might not wake up, and then nothing will stop the tower coming down around our ears. We’re almost there. It’s just a little further.”

“Still here…” I slurred, the pressure in my head having shifted into a dull shroud that blanketed my mental faculties. The throbbing pain was still there, but it felt more muted and distant. The tips of my fingers and toes felt numb.

The air seemed to change suddenly, the scent of pine needles and detritus vanishing as we cleared the forest; the scent of smoke now assailed my nostrils, joined with the pleasant aroma of cooked meat and burning cedar wood. An eerie wail filled the air, birthed from the wind whistling off the rocky cliffs.

“Made it!” Sentinel announced triumphantly. “This is Mist’s Reach.”

Half a kilometer ahead, a narrow canyon—perhaps fifty meters in width—threaded between two enormous mountain peaks, the twin sentinels illuminated by the fiery light of the setting sun. Crystalline sheets of ice glittered along their snow-capped summits.

A raging, frothing river churned along the canyon floor, having carved out the geological formation over the long eons. The churning water was marred by countless shards of jagged rock, rising up from the foaming rapids like the teeth of some monstrous creature. All along the canyon walls, stubborn and tenuous scraps of vegetation clung to the loose rocks. Proud redwoods and ancient cedars sat along the cliff edges, their roots partially exposed to the open air. A number of small waterfalls tumbled into the gap, feeding the raging river that flowed through the gorge. Mist seemed to cling to the canyon walls, thanks to the abundance of moving water.

But it wasn’t the natural scenery that drew my wide-eyed attention—it was the  _ buildings. _

Made from sawn logs stacked together, a great number of structures lined the gorge. Several of them even clung to the cliff faces themselves, anchored deep into crevices in the rock. Other, smaller structures were mounted to the trees themselves, nestled amongst the high branches or simply girding the wide trunks. With high, sloped roofs, countless stone chimneys that belched smoke, and warm flickering lights emanating through their recessed glass windows, the cozy and rustic lodgings painted the towering spire at my back in sharp contrast.

Each structure was connected by a network of rope and wooden bridges; it was a stunning design choice, basing a settlement in such a precarious location. Long bundles of rope draped down into the churning river below, expansive fishing nets trailing downstream. Thin streaks of silver—salmon—flitted within the pockets of mesh.

I blinked lazily, captivated by the quaint alpine village. The distant murmur of indiscriminate speech filled the air, interspaced with the sound of heavy footsteps on wooden planks, the clanging of steel, and the ceaseless rush of water. “Pretty…”

“Isn’t it?” Sentinel remarked warmly. “Mist’s Reach is the only organized human settlement left on the tower. It’s home to… uh, four hundred people last I checked, but that was  _ centuries _ ago. It’s been awhile since I last came here…” With a sudden lurch, the machine advanced, padding along the knifelike cliff edge.

“W—wait!” I stammered, the buildings drawing closer. “Humans? You mean… more people?”

“That’s right,” she replied with a laugh, vaulting over a fence into a small field. A dozen four-legged animals clad in fluffy white coats fled to the far end of the pasture, bleating with fear as the enormous machine passed through. “And uh… fair warning… they’re gonna be  _ fascinated _ with you.”

I groaned with distress, struggling to clear the veil that strangled my thoughts and movements. My extremities felt numb and detached, vision contracting to a tunnel. It felt as if the world was growing distant—like I was slowly being drawn out of my own body.

“Sentinel…? I don’t… feel so good…”

“I know,” she said softly. “This visit isn’t just a social call to the local village; I actually have a purpose for coming here that concerns your condition. We’ll talk about that in the future, though.” The AI grinned maliciously as a multitude of distant voices broke out—shouts of fear and amazement as we stepped onto a narrow rocky path. Gravel crunched beneath the tower guardian’s hooves. The narrow street was lined with wooden buildings and trees, and ended at a sturdy wooden bridge that spanned the chasm. “For now, it’s time for the meet and greet!”

I yelped, spilling from my perch as the gigantic machine tilted, dislodging its passenger. The AI’s aim was well and true—I landed face-first in a pile of hay.

“C’mon!” Sentinel said brusquely, taking a few steps forward as I squirmed about, sputtering with a faceful of dry stalks. “Looks like they’re gathering.”

I pushed myself upright on shaky legs, my skirt skewed and my shirt in disarray. The white hood of my cloak had flipped up, hanging low over my eyes.  _ I hate you… I hate you so much… _

And then, as if a switch had been flicked, the feeling of disconnect vanished. The returning sensation elicited a gasp of relief from my lips, and I immediately seized the opportunity to fix my clothing, a flat glare plastered on my delicate features.

“Hey,” Sentinel whispered, lightly cuffing me with the tower guardian’s stubby tail. “Remember your first impressions.”

I huffed, lifting my head—and froze.

Many pairs of curious eyes had locked on my face.

Several dozen people had clustered together at the end of the pathway before the bridge, watching with fear and curiosity. Ranging from elderly folks to little children, each man and woman wore hard and world-weary expressions, clad in dull clothing made from handmade textiles and furs. It was a startling contrast to my own appearance—my manufactured clothing made from clean white fabric, smooth and unblemished skin, hair that shone like starlight. The fact that most of them towered over me didn’t help matters. I felt wholly out of place.

“Are you… Sentinel?” a male voice asked. Someone stepped from the crowd—an elderly man. Short, stocky, and tanned, the powerfully-built man had the figure of one who had spent the entirety of his life outdoors, chopping wood and hunting wild game. Stray wisps of gray hair stubbornly clung to his balding head. His dull charcoal eyes nonetheless glittered with furtiveness and intelligence, set into a weathered and chipped face that had seen and experienced much.

The machine stepped forward; I nervously latched onto its rear leg, half-hidden from the crowd.

“That’s me,” the AI confirmed softly. She inclined her head in a polite gesture. “Are you the current leader of Mist’s Reach? We have… urgent matters to discuss.”

The man shook his head wearily. “I am the village chief. My name is Cael. But… have you any idea how long it’s been? I only know about you thanks to my grandfather’s stories! It’s been centuries since you were last seen…”

Sentinel snorted with amusement. “Should try looking to the skies sometime, then.” Driving her point home, a squadron of tower guardians rocketed overhead, the treetops surging from the wash of engine exhaust. With a fading rumble, the airborne machines vanished as quickly as they came. “I had nothing left to say after Sphilar Prism was destroyed. Since that day, I’ve been keeping to myself.”

“I… see,” Cael grunted. “Has there been any word from Lyra Village? I fear the worst…”

The AI looked desolated. “I don’t know. I haven’t personally entered that section of the tower in hundreds of years—it’s too dangerous, even for me.”

“So  _ he _ still guards that place, then,” the village chief muttered bleakly, stroking the thick stubble on his chin with sausage-like fingers. “It’s as I feared.”

Looking past the enormous machine, his face eyes locked on me. The man’s face brightened. “But where are my manners? I see you have a little companion!” Stepping closer, he knelt down to stare eye-to-eye with me. I squirmed with discomfort, tightly gripping the tower guardian’s metallic leg. “Tell me, who is this young lady?” Several of the villagers in the background muttered amongst each other, exchanging fascinated looks.

Sentinel released a barking laugh. “‘Young lady,’ huh? I’ll wager she’s a  _ lot _ older than you.”

His face whitened. “You don’t mean that’s…”

“I mean  _ exactly _ that.”

I caught several snippets of conversation as the tower guardian advanced, dragging me closer to the gaggle of human settlers.

“Mommy, why does that girl have white hair?”

“Is that really her? I thought she no longer existed!”

“She’s a lot… smaller than I thought she’d be…”

“She’s just a kid! No older than my little Mitri…”

I gulped nervously, butterflies flitting about in my stomach. Clearly these people had expectations of me that I hadn’t even the vaguest understanding of. At this point, it was likely—no,  _ probable _ that these people actually knew more about me than I did.  _ I’m doomed. _

“That’s right!” Sentinel declared, smiling broadly. “This is Tower Administrator Sylphira.”

Scattered applause and half-hearted cheers broke out amongst the villagers, the crowd parting to allow us passage. I pressed my body as tightly as I could to the tower guardian’s metallic limb, as if I could disappear inside it.

“I have no idea what’s happening…” I frantically whispered to the overeager AI as we passed through the crowd, coming to a halt before the wooden bridge. Cael was hot on our heels.

“Just… stay cool.” The machine snorted, rotating its head so that one glowing blue eye could peer back. “Stick with the village chief, do what he says, impress him a little! I’ll meet up with you on the other side of the bridge; I need to have  _ words _ with him, after all.”

“Wait! Don’t leave me alo—” I protested weakly, but it was no use. The tower guardian surged forward, its four powerful legs suddenly exploding with blue-tinted flames. Sentinel’s body rocketed into the air on four pillars of smoke, crossing the canyon with ease. The throaty roar of rocket engines echoed along the gorge. I could only gape, my lips parted.

“…Now that’s something you don’t see every day,” Cael muttered. A moment later, he turned to stare down into my eyes. A wide smile was plastered on his grizzled features. “Nonetheless, administrator, I’d like to formally welcome you to Mist’s Reach!” He bowed low, a ragged cloak drooping from his wide shoulders. “I do hope that you understand when I say that your presence wasn’t  _ expected, _ otherwise we would have prepared a ceremony in your honor.”

“It… it’s okay…” I sputtered, nervously hugging myself in an attempt to appear as small as possible. I could sense dozens of eyes boring into the back of my head while I conversed with the grizzled man. “I really don’t deserve one…”

“Nonsense!” he boomed jovially, ushering me onto the bridge that spanned the gorge. My boots clunked on the sturdy wood planks. I peered down and blanched, immediately regretting my decision to look. “It’s not every day that a  _ deity _ visits your humble town. We’re all honored by your presence.”

_ I don’t… I mean… what? A  _ deity?

_ Note to self: Ask Sentinel what the  _ heck _ I am, because something got lost in translation. _

“Administrator?” Cael asked hesitantly.

I jolted out of my reverie. “O—oh. Sorry.” I bit my lip, twitching with discomfort. “Can you please just… call me Sylphira?”  _ ‘Administrator’ sounds so weird, and I don’t even know what it means! _

“Lady Sylphira,” he pledged decisively.

“No…” I stammered. “Just… regular Sylphira. No titles or anything needed…”

A look of acute confusion crossed his face. “…As you wish.”

We finished the crossing in mutual silence.

“You’ve arrived just in time for dinner,” Cael remarked warmly as we stepped back onto solid ground on the far side of the gorge. “My wife, Serafi, is a wonderful cook.”

The architecture drew my interest. There were many more buildings on this side of the divide, the rustic homes nestled between coniferous trees and enormous boulders. A few buildings even carved directly through the trunks of large redwoods, incorporating the plants themselves into their living quarters. All the buildings seemed to be spaced in a circle about a clearing; a small body of crystal clear water lay at its center. The few remaining shafts of light from the setting sun shone through the thin canopy overhead.

“About time!” Sentinel huffed, the ground trembling as her gigantic tower guardian reappeared. Several of our followers flinched, retreating in light of the reappearance of the intimidating machine. It felt like we were at the head of a parade, followed by the gawking group of villagers.

“Now what…” I murmured uneasily.

The older man gave me a sideways glance. “Please, come to my home. I’ll put aside one of the guest rooms for your use, and then we’ll dine.” His eyes blessedly closed. “I can smell it even now…”

“O…kay…” As we passed the small pool of water, I took a quick peek in; it seemed to be bottomless, a straight shaft that vanished into the earth. Despite the clear water, I couldn’t even see the bottom; it was shrouded in darkness.  _ Sinkhole… spooky. _

Suddenly Cael came to a halt. “This is my home.”

A large two-story structure sat nestled up against a sheer rock face—yet another precipice that the land seemed to be marred with, as if a great cataclysm had taken place a long time ago. With a steep roof, the house seemed designed to withstand the harsh elements that doubtlessly came hand and hand with living among the mountains. Warm light emanated from windows recessed into the wall, and an ornately-carved doorway beckoned from the porch.

Sentinel stared incredulously at the building. “There’s no  _ way _ I’m gonna fit in there.”

“There’s a stable for animals next door,” the man pointed out. You can wait there until I have our guest of honor settled in.” He patted me on the shoulder; I shied away from his touch.

The AI snorted. “Fine. Don’t keep me waiting too long, though—it’s urgent.” She gave me a long look as her enormous drone turned away, shaking the ground with every step as it headed down a side path to a squat, flat-topped building hidden amongst the trees. The indistinct sound of many different animals emanated from the stable.

“Now that that’s done…” Cael turned to me with a wide smile. “Please, Lady Syl—uh, Sylphira. Follow me.” He easily hefted himself onto the front porch, planks squealing beneath his feet. With a meaty hand and in a gesture unbefitting to his stature, he delicately opened the door, holding it open politely. Warmth spilled from the open portal.

I tentatively followed him up. Now that we were set to pass into the relative safely of the chief’s home, the crowd finally began to dissipate, returning to their own lodgings in preparation for nightfall. The sky had already turned indigo, the last vestiges of fiery orange falling away. The brightest stars had already become visible, shining brightly from their cradles in the sky.

_ Strange house… strange man… but unlike Sentinel, he’s really nice! And he hasn’t really given me any reason to distrust him… yet. _ I gulped, hesitantly crossing the threshold.

Never before had I seen a home that looked so cozy. The center of the lodging was dominated by a wide cylindrical hearth, its stone chimney vanishing into the high, vaulted ceiling. The interior seemed to be made up of one main room comprised of a living space, dining area, and kitchen. Multiple doorways branched off on either side, doubtlessly leading to storage areas, bedrooms, and perhaps a bathroom. Much of the floor space was occupied with various pieces of handmade furniture, from tables to chairs to padded sofas. A number of potted ferns and complex wood carvings helped bring the home to life. The hearth’s light barely reached the far corners of the room; tiny candles helped to null the shadows.

The door slammed shut behind me as the village chief entered; I jumped in surprise at the sudden, unexpected bang.

I spotted a flurry of movement at the back of the room. “Hi there, Cael!” a woman’s voice proclaimed from the kitchen. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

Cael smiled. “That’s my wife, Serafi.”

“Oh, a visitor!” A slim, middle-aged woman hurried over, clad in an airy green dress and a stained apron. She peered at me, her fierce features tightly focused on my own. Her brown eyes were brimming with curiosity. Long tresses of graying hair fell down to her narrow shoulders. “Goodness, look at you!” she cooed, kneeling down to inspect her visitor. I gasped, shyly drawing back as she reached for my cheeks.

Seemingly recovering her composure, Serafi retreated. ‘Who’s this young lady, Cael?” she questioned. “Is she from Lyra Village?”

The village chief shook his head solemnly. “No. She is, in fact, the Tower Administrator.”

Serafi released a loud gasp, eyes wide. “I thought… I thought she was  _ dead!” _

“That’s what everyone says…” I grumbled, thinking back to the AI’s casual remarks.

Cael shifted with discomfort. “Honey, I’ll be back shortly.  _ She _ wants to talk.”

“The… the tower guardian controller?” the woman asked tentatively, casting a nervous glance in my direction.

“No need to be obscure,” the village chief chided, tenderly taking her hand. “The administrator knows what Sentinel is.”

I frowned, interjecting. “I know what Sentinel is…? What, an AI?”

Serafi looked flustered, hanging her head. “I’m sorry, administrator… I didn’t know.”

I was totally, utterly, and completely lost.  _ What’s going on here? _

“That aside,” Cael said, “I’m going to the stables. Honey, would you mind showing Sylphira to a room? I’m not sure how long she’ll be staying; I intend to ask our… other guest.”

“What about dinner?!” she exclaimed hotly as he opened the front door. “It’s your favorite!”

“I won’t be long; this should hopefully take mere minutes. Thank you, honey.” The door closed with an audible thump.

I sighed, crestfallen.  _ At this rate, I’m never gonna learn anything about who and what I am… _

Serafi gently laid a hand on my shoulder. “Uh… excuse me? Administrator?”

“…Yes? Also, please just… call me Sylphira. It feels really weird to be called that.”

“Is it… is it really true that you’re the Tower Administrator?” she queried apprehensively.

I shrugged helplessly. “…I guess.”

“Wow…” the woman whispered, awed. She shook out of her daze, bowing low. “…Anyway! Please, come with me! I’ll show you to one of the guest rooms. We always keep them ready for use because of how often we get visitors.”

I allowed the woman to lead me along, ending up at one of the doorways that lined the sides of the main room. She politely pushed the wooden door open, and I timidly entered.

The bedroom was a far cry from the sterile chamber in the silvaplate where I’d first woken up. It was warmly lit thanks to the abundance of candles, and a large window that faced eastward doubtlessly allowed in plenty of sunlight at dawn, giving an excellent view of the rest of Mist’s Reach. Adding to the breathtaking view,  Asciydria Tower was clearly visible on the horizon, its incomprehensible bulk blotting out a vast portion of the twilit sky. From here, I could almost make out the upper sections of the spire, its silhouette having resolved in sharp detail.

A plush bed swathed in patchwork quilted blankets, a desk-and-chair combo, a nightstand, and a dresser comprised the furniture in the tiny bedroom. Carved with wood and polished until it shone, I couldn’t help but be impressed with the level of craftsmanship. It was something that persisted throughout the village; for the carpenters who built it, this settlement was clearly a labor of love. The floor was hidden beneath a thick shag carpet that felt springy to walk on.

“I’m glad that you like it!” Serafi smiled happily, seeing my reaction. “Cael and I pride ourselves on how well we treat our guests.” She turned around to leave. “We’ve having dinner soon… would you like me to set you a spot at the table?”

“Um…” I sputtered, overwhelmed.  _ It smells really good… _

My timidity, unfortunately, got the better of me.  “No… it’s okay. I brought my own food.” I exaggeratedly rolled my shoulder, drawing attention to the small bag that hung from it.

“Well, just yell if you need anything!” With a muted click, the door sealed, leaving me to my thoughts.

My bag tumbled to the floor, thumping softly on the carpet. I allowed myself to tumble face-first onto the quilted bed, relieved that the long, stressful, and confusing day was beginning to wind down.

_ But… _ I peered wistfully out the window; the stable was easily visible from my vantage point.  _ I really want to know what they’re talking about… maybe it’s about what’s wrong with me? _

It was then that I spotted the hinges and the latch. The window could be  _ opened. _ The drop to the forest floor on the other side was miniscule at best, and climbing back in would be a cinch.

I took a moment to ponder.  _ Should I… or shouldn’t I? _

_ …If it’s about me… then I’d really like to know. Maybe I can find out what’s going on here. _

It was mere seconds before I’d smoothly opened the window, my knees buckling as I hit the ground; luckily, the overgrown vegetation made for a nice cushion. With all post-haste, I quickly made my way to the flat-topped building, pushing the side of my head up against the thin wooden walls. I fought to focus my hearing, eyes narrowing.

“—happened to it?! I thought the whole village was  _ built _ around it!”

“It was…” Cael grunted. “But, a tremor several months ago made the caves collapse. It appears that the entire complex was flattened in the rockfall, and my fellow villagers have neither the will nor reason to excavate it again. I doubt that any computer systems survived.”

Sentinel hissed with annoyance, mirrored with a low, synthesized growl from her tower guardian. “…Dammit. I was really banking on that.”

Apprehension entered the chief’s voice. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s this all about? Does it have anything to do with why the administrator awoke?”

“I doubt it,” she said quickly—almost too quickly. “But I’d just like to be certain.” The AI turned away, each footfall making the building shake like a leaf. “I could check the wreckage of Sphilar Prism… no, no, it’s almost completely devoid of data; pretty much every system was fried. Maybe the S.P.U.…”

“How long are you planning to stay?” Cael interrupted. “Perhaps we can help each other.”

“Not long—a week, tops. After that, we have to start climbing.”

“Climbing the tower…?” Cael said incredulously. “Whyever for? It’s beyond hazardous up there! There’s a reason that our village is established out here and not in the interior of that  _ derelict. _ You should know that better than anyone.”

“My business is mine and mine alone,” she said dryly.

He grunted. “So be it.” His footstep began to fade into the distance… then halted. “One more thing… what caused the tremor? Do you know?”

Sentinel released a sigh. “I do… it’s the plasma bell. Some of its internal lift generators have  _ apparently _ been malfunctioning for the last few decades—fluctuating power levels and such. I’ll move it up in priority and look into it in more detail when I can free up some repair drones. For now, there should be no immediate danger.”

“…That’s something, at least. Thank you.”

Sensing that the conversation was winding down, I seized the momentary lull and fled, silently clambering back into the house like a master thief. Though the exchange had been both short and vague, it had given me plenty to think about.

_ Sphilar Prism… Sphilar Prism… she mentioned that name before. Maybe it has something to do with my awakening? _

_ Whatever that thing is, it’s clearly important—connected to me or not. _

Rooting through my pack, I extracted a silvery foil packet; it squished beneath my fingers, filled with some kind of malleable food. Ripping off the top, I was greeted by a slate-colored and sludgy paste. “Ew!”  _ Dammit… I wish I’d said yes to that dinner offer. _

_ Well… I made my bed. I guess I have to lie in it. Bottoms up… _ I reluctantly tipped the package, allowing the globules of ‘food’ to freely enter my body. Tears sprang to my eyes, such was the horror of what I’d just put in my mouth. Choking down the slimy paste, I resolved to seize the offer for free meals from this day onwards.  _ Never again… _ My belly voiced its agreement with an unhappy grumble, the first full day of my existence drawing to a close.

_ Tomorrow’s another day. _

**———————————————————**

**_KEYWORD // SPHILAR=PRISM_SH_ASCIYDRIA._ **

**_FILE(S) DETECTED!_ **

**_TRANSFERRING…_ **

**_TRANSFERRING…_ **

**_COMPLETE._ **

**_…_ **

**_AUDIO_PLAYBACK // 24/08/3560_15:37:02_ **

**_LOCATION_INFO // APEX_ASCIYDRIA.map_ **

**_…_ **

_ Bubbling water—the fluid that surrounds my comatose body. The faint metallic chirps of machinery, the dull whine of computer systems… and a multitude of footsteps. _

_ Suddenly, a voice. Someone I don’t recognize. A woman, commanding authority. _

_ “It’s time to try again. Everyone has been transferred to Sphilar Prism, and Creationsphere is ready.” _

_ Another voice, another person I don’t recognize—a man. He speaks with confidence; he knows his way around these machines. “Again, I have to ask… Are you certain that you want to do this, Iylia? Is it moral to desecrate a deity from the old world like this? And beyond that, what about the potential hardware problems? The new simulations look promising, but we still haven’t fully eliminated the power fluctuations… and it’s highly possible that the ad hoc modifications to the Orgel won’t hold up for much longer.” _

_ “She’s not a deity,” the woman retorted. A dull impact echoed on the exterior of my pod.  “She’s a corpse on life support. Were she alive now, she would support us. It would be her duty to do so.” _

_ “Besides,” a third voice added, “we’ve come too far to stop now! We’ve worked for decades, and it all leads up to this moment.” _

_ “As you say,” the man muttered. “I can only hope that this works.” _

**_TRIPOLAR RESONANCE INCUBATOR ACCESSED…_ **

**_NEW FILES DETECTED! CONTINUE Y/N?_ **

**_UPDATING…_ **

**_UPDATING…_ **

**_UPDATE INSTALLED. ADMINISTRATOR CLEARANCES ACCESSED…_ **

**_WARNING! ORGEL_ASCIYDRIA POWER LOSS DETECTED!_ **

_ “It’s working,” the second voice breathed. “It’s working! The power is coming through!” _

_ “Then we shall begin the fifty-seventh attempt,” the first woman said solemnly. “For a new world, free of discord and strife.” _

_ “For a new world, free of discord and strife,” dozens of voices repeated in perfect sync. _

_ “Let us begin.” _

**_DIREC_CREATIONSPHERE/._ **

_ A distant song rose on the air, muted through the thick walls of the transparent cylinder. Countless voices, singing in a language that was tantalizingly-familiar—to the point where I could actually understand the words. They sang of hope, of determination, for the purpose of creating a new world where true peace could be wrought. _

_ A shrill alarm sounded.  _ **_ERROR. FOREIGN OBJECT DETECTED INSI—_ ** _ The siren was suddenly squelched with the snip of a wire. _

_ “It’s… it’s working!” the man announced, his fingers drumming nervously on the side of the tube. “I can’t believe it… just like you said, it’s replacing the old hardware! For the first time…!” _

**_NEW HARDWARE DETECTED. GENERATING NEW ARCHITECTURE…_ **

**_8%…_ **

**_21%…_ **

**_36%…_ **

**_WARNING! ORGEL_ASCIYDRIA POWER FLOW UNSTABLE. PRISMS 5 THROUGH 18 OUT OF ALIGNMENT. REQUIRES IMMEDIATE CALIBRATION._ **

_ “We’ve got a problem!” the elderly man—he sounded like an engineer—hollered. “The Orgel modifications need more calibrating, the power’s coming too fast! I knew this would happen…” _

_ “Keep… going…” the woman growled, momentarily interrupting her lyrics. “If we go back down there to modify it again, we’ll be slaughtered—just like last time. Do you really think that the AI will be willing to help us now, after what we’ve done? And who knows how much more time it will take to devise a new, working procedure? Yet another century? Only a little more…” _

**_52%…_ **

**_ULTRA-HIGH VOLTAGE EMERGENCY DISCHARGE SYSTEM PRIMED._ **

_ “Iylia…! Shut it down!” _

_ “Keep… pushing…” _

**_65%…_ **

**_78%…_ **

**_WARNING! ULTRA-HIGH VOLTAGE EMERGENCY DISCHARGE SYSTEM OVERLOAD—SYSTEM OFFLINE. POWER SURGE IMMINENT._ **

_ “We’ve almost… got i—” _

_ The sound of distant explosions, the crackle of lighting, resounding through the air like the pounding of drums. The shriek of alarms, the hiss of a shower of sparks. The fluid around my body seemed to tremble. _

_ “IYLIA!” the man screamed, his shoes scuffing on the steel floor. _

_ And then a multitude of splashes, as if dozens of buckets of water had emptied on the floor simultaneously. _

_ An eerie, unearthly silence followed. _

**_…_ **

**_DAMAGE REPORT // MULTIPLE SYSTEMS DESTROYED._ **

**_SPHILAR=PRISM_SH_ASCIYDRIA // OFFLINE._ **

**_SH_ASCIYDRIA // OFFLINE._ **

**_β-6D_ASCIYDRIA // OFFLINE. RESTORATION IMPOSSIBLE._ **

**_SH_ASCIYDRIA ARCHITECTURE // FATALITIES : 100%._ **

**_ALL NONCRITICAL SYSTEMS SHUTTING DOWN._ **

_ “No…” the man breathed, falling to his knees with a muffled thump as the thrum of machinery faded into nothingness. “No, no…” _

**_SYNCHRONIZATION COMPLETE. ERROR. HARDWARE INCOMPLETE._ **

**_SYLPHIRA_ANSUL_ASCIYDRIA FUNCTIONALITY AT 81%. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESTART Y/N?_ **

**_WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESTART Y/N?_ **

**_WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESTART Y/N?_ **

**_…_ **

**———————————————————**

I awoke with a muffled cry, drenched in an icy layer of sweat. A thick, quilted blanket weighed down on me—I cast it aside, swinging my legs out over the edge of the soft bed. My bare feet brushed against the polished bed frame, my limbs too short to touch the floor.

The room was nearly pitch-black, barely illuminated only thanks to silver shafts of moonlight that flowed in through my room’s singular window, as well as a small candle in the corner of the room that burned stubbornly in the darkness. I’d elected to leave one alight; I couldn’t bear being alone in the dark, especially after what had happened before in the forest. A light wind brushed up against the shutters; they rattled quietly.

I held my head in my hands. The feeling of disconnect was back, though I was more troubled by what I had heard prior—in my dream.

_ What… what was that?! Was that a nightmare? Or was it a memory…? _

_ …I think I need some fresh air. Maybe that’ll make this scary feeling go away. _

As silently as I could, I hopped onto my feet. Fabric rustled on my narrow shoulders, the borrowed nightgown hugging my slim frame in a comforting fashion.

It wasn’t hard to sneak out; Cael and Serafi both seemed to be heavy sleepers. And so, it wasn’t long before I was out the front door and stumbling down a pathway that ran along the cliff edge, sticking as close as I could to a line of flickering paper lanterns. I jumped at every rustle of foliage, one hand shakily wrapped around a flashlight and the other tightly gripping the enormous knife I’d found the previous day.

I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking for, but I simply had to get away from it all. The day had been utterly overwhelming and draining for my newborn mind.

_ I live up in the sky, on a tower that reaches all the way up to  _ outer space, _ with a crazy AI… also there’s magic, and I’m apparently a  _ deity. _ And to top it off, the world is gonna end in a few years. Why is everything so crazy…? _

It wasn’t long before I came across a small pond, the pool of water shimmering in the light of the moon; tonight, however, a different moon hung in the sky. Small and shining with a warm golden hue, it almost looked like a dimmer counterpart to the sun.

I squatted down in the grass next to the pond, allowing one bare foot to trail lazily in the cool water. Reeds brushed against the back of my neck, the soft chirp of crickets filling the night air.

A squeak of surprise shot out of my mouth when a small nibbling sensation suddenly came from my foot—but thanks to closer inspection with the beam of my flashlight, I realized that it was nothing more than a small fish, eager for a midnight snack. It gazed up at me with wide eyes, its gaping mouth opening and closing. It seemed fixated on the cone of light.

I smiled, relieved. “Hi there, little guy…”

“Geez, administrator, how’d you know I was back here?" a voice called out of the darkness. I leapt into the air with a strangled yelp, tumbling into a bush. "Also, I’m not really a ‘little guy,’ but you do you.” Sentinel’s dry voice emanated from the thicket.

The AI released an amused snicker, watching me flounder about in the leaves. “Oh! You were talking to the  _ fish. _ In that case,  **BOO! <**

“You’re the worst…” I moaned, scrambling to my feet.

“I know. I embrace it, though!” she said lightheartedly, her holographic body drifting from the treeline. A small hovering drone hosted her projection; I recognized its ringed body from the previous night. It was one of the tower guardians that had saved my life. “Anyway, what are you doing out here? I figured that you wouldn’t be so eager to head out at night, considering what happened  _ last _ time.“

“Couldn’t sleep,” I grumbled silently, brushing leaves off my nightgown.

“Any particular reason why?” A tinge of concern had entered her voice.

I faltered.  _ I wonder… can I trust her? What if she’s keeping my condition quiet because it’s in her best interests? There’s definitely something else going on here… _ I shivered at the recollection of the fragmented memory.

“No,” I lied. “I just couldn’t sleep.”

The AI nodded tenderly. “Okay. Let’s get you back to bed, then. Round Two versus the pillow?”

“Okay…” I allowed the small holographic figure to latch onto my finger. Together, we began the short walk back to Mist’s Reach.

I couldn’t manage to force the memory out of my head. It played over and over, like a nightmarish record. It was evident, though, that something terrible had happened on that day two hundred years ago—something that I couldn’t yet comprehend.


	4. Origin

_Where… am I?_

I came to in a strange place, in an unfamiliar room. A weighty blanket pressed down on my thin frame. The air that caressed my face was cool, smelling of wood shavings and smoke.

Yawning, I lifted myself into a sitting position on the plush bed, blearily shaking my head. White locks of hair fell into my eyes. My stomach rumbled loudly, clearly still upset from what I’d fed it last night.

 _Oh… it wasn’t a dream, then._ I warily gazed around the room. Warm sunlight streamed in through the large window off to one side, tinged green thanks to the bunches of leaves and needles that hovered beyond the glass. Numerous bird calls sounded through the portal, as if announcing my awakening to the world. A folded pile of clothing sat on the wooden dresser, a single piece of paper precariously perched on top.

Curious, I hopped out of bed, bouncing on the thick shag carpet. It felt wonderful between my toes. Stepping over, I wrapped two fingers around the sheet of paper, poring over the written contents. Short and succinct, the note held only a few lines of small and meticulous text, ink having been stamped into the paper with machine-like precision.

_Administrator,_

_Due to an unplanned, in-depth inspection of the plasma bell, all my processes will be occupied for the first half of the day so I won’t be around. I’ll be back at noon, so please be ready to leave then. We’re gonna continue right along with bringing you up to speed._

_Also, I have thousands of eyes. Did you seriously think that I wouldn’t know you were listening in on us last night? I understand that you’re curious, and it wasn’t my intention to sow the seeds of distrust. Which is why today’s topic will be changed; we’ll talk about who and what you are. So… look forward to it, I guess._

_Remember, don’t do anything stupid. You’re not well._

_Sentinel_

I winced, realizing that I hadn’t been fooling anyone. Mentally, I slapped myself. _Dummy._

A hesitant knocking emanated from the door, making me start. Serafi’s voice sounded through the thick wooden slab. “Admi—Sylphira? Are you awake?”

Quickly glancing down at my body, I noted my undressed state with no small amount of panic. “Y—yes, but… I’m not decent yet!”

“Oh, alright dear. I just wanted to tell you that It’s time for breakfast!” the woman called. “Would you like me to set you a spot?”

 _Remember last night’s dinner? Do it._ I shuddered. “Yes, please…”

“Okay! Come on out when you’re ready,” Serafi responded cheerfully. Her footsteps receded as she headed into another part of the house.

 _Okay, breakfast soon… let’s see what’s what._ Casting the note to one side, I rifled through the small stack of clothing, finding clean undergarments and a simple white summer dress. Dressing quickly, I swapped my underwear out and slipped on the light and airy garment.

Fully clothed, I peered into a mirror mounted on the wall. The knee-length summer dress hugged my rail-thin body, white as the clouds and unadorned; it was a simple yet appealing look. I gave an experimental twirl, watching my reflection in the mirror as the dress fanned out.

I smiled, my mirror image’s face lighting up. _Cute…_

Throwing my cloak overtop, slinging my bag over one shoulder, and slipping into my boots, I tentatively stepped from the cozy bedroom into the open central space of the home. I sighed with bliss; the pleasant aroma of cooked food filled the house.

“Great timing!” Serafi called from the kitchen, sashaying about. “I’m just bringing it to the table.”

As if summoned, Cael blearily stumbled from a side room, yawning loudly. Making a beeline straight for the dining area, he dropped into the wooden chair at the head of the table without a word. It released a creak of protest, the stocky man’s weight clearly taxing the piece of furniture’s limits. Lovingly, his wife deposited a steaming mug of coffee in front of him. Like a mechanical construct, the village chief began to slowly chug at the hot liquid.

I sat off to one side, knees demurely pressed together and shoulders hunched to make myself as small as possible. I felt like an out-of-place stranger… par for the course.

The woman kindly set a carved wooden plate in front of my nose, followed by a simple metal fork and knife. She did the same for Cael and herself. Moments later, she brought over a steaming platter of food, setting it down. Mumbling incoherently and still half-asleep, Cael dug in. The woman sat down at his side, helping herself.

I peered in curiosity at the miniature buffet. A veritable feast of bacon strips, a variety of eggs—ranging in style from over-easy to omelettes, filled with contents I couldn't identify—and fruits of all sizes and colors were set out, making my taste buds water. It was the complete opposite of the vile paste I’d choked down the previous night. A tall glass of apple juice was set in front of me.

“Thank you!” I dug in with enthusiasm, apprehensively looking forward to the day ahead.

**———————————————————**

My hunger satiated in a way that pleased my unhappy stomach—and at Serafi’s insistent urging—I found myself using the remainder of the morning to explore the village, shying away from the adults. It was difficult to do so; I had unwillingly become the hottest celebrity of Mist’s Reach overnight, and it was reflected in the incessant train of villagers who both asked for and offered blessings and gifts. And of course, there were those who were simply curious as to the tower’s state or the circumstances of my awakening. Shrugging helplessly, I had no answers to give them.

The children, however, seemed a lot more lax… if still difficult to talk to. Most rushed around alongside the adults, carrying out menial tasks and chores. They didn’t have time for the oddity that had come to their little corner of the world. The ones that were too young for chores were _terrified_ of me, and so I found myself wandering Mist’s Reach on my own.

I sighed, resting on a bench in what I’d learned was the town square. I watched villagers bustle about, the yell of shopkeepers hawking wares and the sharp crack of mallets on steel echoing throughout the village. People hurried back and forth, hoisting barrels, crates, and bundles of firewood. Despite the rather small population, the human settlement was a beehive of activity.

I hopped to my feet, glancing over at Cael’s home which lay off to one side. For a moment I debated heading back inside, eager for something to do.

_I’m bored. I wonder if Serafi has any books…?_

The crunch of rapidly-approaching footsteps on gravel drew my attention. “Um… excuse me…” a soft voice asked. “Are you that admis… adnin… administrator person?”

The unknown figure drew my questioning gaze. The voice belonged to a child—a young girl, roughly the same age as me. The first thing that drew my gaze were her sparkling green eyes, vibrant as a summer’s field. They drew attention to her soft face, her pale complexion marred with a smattering of freckles across the nose and cheeks. Long, chestnut-brown hair that hung loose fell down to the small of her back, wafting in the wind.

Slightly larger in stature than myself, she peered down into my eyes with childlike curiosity. Unable to maintain my gaze with the stranger, I turned my eyes downward, timidly staring at the gravel between my boots. I felt self-conscious; she was a lot prettier than me.

“Well, are you?” the preteen girl pressed. She drew closer, her own boots crunching on the ground.

“Y—yes…” I stuttered, backing away a couple steps. Here was someone my age who wanted to talk, and yet, I was too shy to take advantage of it. Unlike when I’d met Cael, I didn’t have the benefit of a scary but reassuring AI watching my back this time.

“Oh.” She shifted with discomfort, the tension palpable. “My name’s Mitri!”

I froze for a long moment, breath caught in my throat. “…Sylphira. That’s my name…”

Silence. I felt like turning around and running away.

“That’s a cute dress!” The words spilled from Mitri’s lips. I was acutely aware of the fact that her own clothes were far less impressive, drab and faded. The sole splash of color on her garb was from an ornate piece of jewelry that hung from her neck, decorated with a few polished beads of rock and wood and speckled with tiny fragments of rainbow crystal.

“Thank… you…”

More silence.

The girl sighed. “Um… listen…” Advancing suddenly, she placed a hand on my arm; I recoiled from her touch as if her fingers were acid. “Sorry! It’s okay, though. You don’t need to be scared! Do you wanna play?”

“Play…?”

“Yeah!” Mitri announced brightly, breaking the tension. “All the other kids are busy doing chores. Papa would be mad if he knew that I was skipping _mine,_ but he can’t complain if I’m making the visitor feel welcome!”

“Oh…”

 _“Here,”_ she said firmly, tugging on my hand. “Come with me! This way!”

And that was how I found myself being led around Mist’s Reach—somewhat unwillingly so—by the girl. She was the polar opposite of Sentinel, lacking the brusque and sarcastic manner of my AI companion. And unlike Cael, she didn’t have an interest in me for what seemed like solely business reasons. I quickly found myself overwhelmed with the one-sided chatter from my overeager ‘guide’… though it wasn’t long before I found myself joining in, too.

“Why’re you so pale, anyway?” Mitri wondered, hurrying across a rickety bridge towards the village’s outskirts. I followed behind, panting with exhaustion; my atrophied muscles made it hard to keep up. “Is it cause you’re sick? Hurt, maybe? There’s a bandage here…” She turned and reached for the gauze wrapped around my forearm.

“S—stop that!” I cried, backing away and protectively clutching my arm. “Don’t touch that! Don’t _ever_ touch that!”

“Oh… sorry,” the girl uttered awkwardly. “Is it cause it hurts? I broke my arm last year, and I couldn’t do anything for _weeks!”_

“It’s… not like that.” I nursed my arm, feeling the subtle indentation of the socket that pushed deep into my body.

“Ooh, I get it.” Mitri nodded sagely, continuing the march across the divide. I was hot on her heels. “It’s goddess stuff, I bet.”

“Wha…?”

“That’s what my mama said last night!” she replied. “At dinner, she said you were a goddess, but I thought she was lying. You don’t look like one…”

“What do goddesses look like?” I asked, genuinely curious.

Mitri bit her lip, slowing her pace. “It was in one of my picture books from when I was little. There were three of them… some of them had really cool armor, and they all had pretty _wings!_ You don’t look like that at all.”

“Mmh…” I hung my head. “I… I don’t _think_ I am. I don’t feel like one, either… but I can’t remember. What does it even feel like to be a goddess, anyway?”

She gave me a wide-eyed stare. “You can’t remember? What do you mean? Do you have amme… anme… amnesia?”

I shook my head vigorously, boots sinking in the earthy soil on the far side of the bridge. The air turned cool, a vibrant green canopy forming overhead that blotted out the sun’s light. “I was… asleep for a really long time. I don’t know how long, but I only just woke up yesterday, and the first thing I remember is wondering if I had a family and where it was. I don’t know if I even had any memories to forget in the first place, though…”

“I get it.” Mitri turned to me with a wide smile. “You should come over to my house for dinner tonight! You can meet my mama and papa—maybe you’ll like them?”

 _It’s not the same…_ “Where are we going, anyway…?” I changed the subject, peering around with curiosity. We’d left the village behind, the rooftops at our backs disappearing amongst the gargantuan moss-covered tree trunks. Lush ferns rustled underfoot as we pushed deeper into the forest.

“Almost there, Sif!” she announced with a smile.

“…Sif?”

“I’m gonna call you that from now on,” the girl replied, wrinkling her nose. “It’s cute! …And it’s a lot easier to say. Anyway, I wanted you to meet my friends!”

“F—friends?” I stuttered weakly, falling behind her. “More… more people?”

“Don’t worry!” Mitri cooed, pushing through a particularly-dense patch of undergrowth The trees ahead began to part, marking the presence of a small and hidden glade. “You don’t need to be shy or scared or anything. They’re really nice!”

Stepping through the bushes, I tentatively entered the tiny clearing.

The empty space in the forest was dimly lit with a green hue, sparse shafts of sunlight filtering down through the leafy canopy overhead. Much of the foliage had been cleared away at some point, exposing a wide patch of dirt interspaced with countless footprints and drag marks. A circle of blackened stones—a fire pit—sat dead center in the glade, overflowing with dusty clumps of ash and charcoal. An old building lay at the far side of the clearing, its wooden walls engulfed under a blanket of moss. An empty doorway gaped like a maw on the facing wall, revealing only shadows within.

Two unknown figures relaxed on roughly-hewn log benches that had been dragged before the fire pit, garbed in the same kind of handmade clothing that the rest of the villagers wore. One was a nerdy-looking preteen girl who appeared to be the same age as Mitri and I, scribbling in a notebook. Her dark brown hair was arranged in a cute bob, and her hazel eyes were hidden behind thick wood-rimmed glasses. The girl peered over in our direction, blinking like an owl. “Mitri, what kept you?” Her bespectacled gaze locked on me. “Wait, who’s that?”

The other stranger spoke up—a boy with dark skin and lean muscles, perhaps fourteen years old. With midnight-black hair, a gaunt face, and eyes that burned like coal, I got the vague sense that he was the rebellious type. After all, he was _here_ and not working back at the village. “What, weren’t you paying attention last night? Or were you locked away in your room again?”

He confidently strode over, looming head and shoulders above me. I shrank, withering under his intense, self-assured stare.

“What’s up?” He stuck his hand out, jabbing it toward me. “I’m Ayden.” The boy thumbed backwards at his companion, who was fumbling with her notebook. “The _nerd_ over there is Triha.”

“I’m not a nerd, you _dick!”_ the other girl cried indignantly, lobbing a small pebble at the boy. He casually dodged it with practised ease, as if Triha had angrily lobbed things at him many times before.

I tentatively shook his hand, my hand and voice shaking. “I’m… Sylphira…”

“You’re kinda jumpy, aren’t you?” Ayden snorted. “And yeah, so I’ve heard. People won’t _stop_ talking about who you are.” He cast a brief gaze through the canopy overhead; the enormous plates that orbited around the tower’s midsection were just barely visible, spinning silently in the empty sky. “So you’re the ‘boss’ of that run-down firetrap, huh? Never would’ve guessed at first glance.” His voice took on a sinister tone. “Y’know… a couple months back, I got to go into that place with dad and a couple others—for salvaging stuff. Metal and the like.” The boy grinned evilly. “It was _real_ dark in there… winding maze-like tunnels, razor-sharp heaps of scrap, tons of high drops… oh, and things scurrying around in the darkness. Probably just animals… but who knows? Maybe they were _monsters.”_

“W—what…?”

“Ayden, stop scaring her!” Triha chided, approaching with her notebook tucked into an armpit. She moved with a lopsided walk—a limp. “Why’ve you gotta do this to every girl you meet?”

“He doesn’t scare _me.”_ Mitri rushed to the boy’s side, latching onto his arm.

He lowered his head, nuzzling the smaller girl. “Hey, Mitri. How’re you doing? How’s your dad?”

She blushed, averting her eyes in a shy manner. “I’m okay… and papa just got out of the clinic this morning. The healer said that he’s all better!”

“That’s a relief. Glad to hear it.” Ayden shrugged her off, seemingly reluctant to let go. “Anyway, what did you want to do today? Goof off again?” His visage soured with distaste. “Not like there’s much _else_ to do around here, after all.”

“Oh! Yeah, that’s right,” Mitri said, flustered. “Wanna play Last Man Down again?”

“Sure, why not?” the boy shrugged. “It’s almost lunch break, so maybe we can get some of the other kids to join in this time. Oh yeah, and I call dibs on being the Dai for today.” He ducked into the decrepit shack for the briefest of moments, coming back with an armload of small bean bags. He casually tossed one into the air, the grains inside rattling about.

“Last Man Down…? I queried with a soft, shaky voice. “What’s that…?”

“You’ll seeeee,” Triha sang, hurrying off into the woods—presumably getting a head start on whatever I’d found myself roped into.

“Don’t worry,” Mitri smiled kindly, wrapping an arm around my slender frame. “We’re on the same team. I’ll stick with you and show you how it’s done!”

**———————————————————**

“Okay, _go!”_

Mitri and I dashed across the street, silently slipping into a narrow alleyway like a pair of ghosts. We weaved around half-rotted barrels and heaps of detritus, staying out of sight. My small hands were wrapped around a thick branch as long as my arm, nearly identical to the one Mitri held. I was acutely aware of the fact that more children had joined in, the little game now comprising more than twenty ‘players’ each vying to be the last survivor. It had me nervous.

The other girl breathlessly explained the game while we ran. “It’s really easy!” she said in a patronizing way. “Ayden and I got the idea from a storybook we read when we were little kids—about some big war or something hundreds of years ago. There’s one person—Ayden—who gets to be the ‘Dai.’ That means he has to chase all of us! We’re all ‘Sens,’ so we have to run away from him and not get caught.

“Ayden’s got all those bean bags… he has to throw them at people to knock them out of the game. If he hits someone, then they lose and have to go back to the ‘tower’—the town square—to wait until the next round.”

“How do you… win?” I panted, struggling to keep pace with the nimble girl. My cloak trailed behind me, flapping in the wind.

“It’s easy!” she said airily, vaulting over a stack of flat crates. I clambered over them with effort, stumbling as I regained my footing. “You can use these sticks to try and knock his bean bags out of the air before they hit you. That’s how you survive! The last person standing is the winner and beats the Dai. Oh yeah, and watch out, cause Ayden likes to throw _two,_ one after the other. It’s really hard to block both with only one stick, cause they come at you so fast. If the first one doesn’t get you, the second one will for sure!”

“So, um… what is a Dai?” _Sen is probably Sentinel… right?_

Mitri slowed to allow me to catch up, shrugging impassively. “It’s been a really long time since I read the book… but I remember it being a kind of monster that lived in the tower a long time ago.”

“Oh…”

 _“Stop!”_ she hissed, screeching to a halt at the exit to the alleyway. Bright sunlight shone ahead, a cool wind whistling down the narrow channel… joined by the trampling of a multitude of tiny feet.

Three screaming kids sprinted by at full tilt, each carrying sticks of their own. They were closely followed by a withering hail of bean bags. Ayden’s silhouette flashed by a moment later, the boy bellowing with determination. I couldn’t help but giggle at the strange sight.

Mitri waited tensely, hunched low. “Okay, it’s safe, go!” We rushed out into the open, turning in the opposite direction. The girl ducked and weaved around astonished villagers going about their daily routines; I stayed off to one side, running through the grass that lined the pathway.

A triumphant roar burst out at my back, and I barely ducked in time to avoid a pair of incoming bean bags. They thudded against a lamppost up ahead, rattling the wooden fixture.

“FOUND YOU!” Ayden crowed, giving chase. A burgeoning satchel stuffed with bean bags hung from a bandolier strung across his chest. Not stopping to aim, the boy cocked his arm and prepared to throw.

“Sif, run!” Mitri cried with equal measures horror and childlike glee.

I saw the sack’s incoming profile, lobbed with a powerful overhand toss. Clumsily lifting my branch, I feebly swung at it… and missed. The bean bag hit me square in the forehead, immediately followed by a second—knocking me onto my backside. “Ow!”

“You’re out!” Ayden gave me a playful tap on the shoulder as he sped past, in hot pursuit of his next target.

“Poop…” I pouted. With my head hanging low, I headed back to the town square, finding at least a dozen other equally-glum kids. They sat around, snacking on early lunches or lazily kicking their feet in the pool of crystal clear water that sat at the center of the town. Shyness getting the better of me, I took up position on an out-of-the-way bench at the far side of the square, eagerly waiting for the next round to start.

It was mere minutes before the last few holdouts fell, dejectedly shuffling into the center of the village. Mitri and Ayden were the last to arrive, grins plastered across both of their faces.

“I won!” Mitri announced happily.

“Only because Ayden always goes easy on her…” Triha grumbled, pushing up her glasses with a disapproving sniff.

“Let’s go again!” the other girl cried, latching onto my forearm and dragging me back into the fray.

It went the exact same way during the second round… and the third round… and the fourth round. Sometimes I was eliminated early, other times I was one of the last. Sometimes Mitri would be the first to go, sometimes I would. But the result was ultimately remained the same; I couldn’t properly protect myself from Ayden’s skillful bean bag marksmanship. He was too fast, and I was too woefully sluggish and weak.

Until I began to _realize_ something.

It came to me like a flash of lightning when I was backed up against a wall, Ayden advancing with an amused smirk set on his face. As he prepared to throw, I felt a profound sensation of deja vu—the way he planted his feet in the soil with a spray of dirt, the motion of the boy’s shoulder hitching as he cocked his arm, the position in which his wrist bent when he released the first bag. Sent back to the town square for the umpteenth time, I had the opportunity to think on it… and it was no small shock when it finally hit me.

 _Sentinel…! Yesterday she said that I flat-out lacked the ability to forget—word for word._ The more I thought on it, sifting through memories, the more astonished I felt. I quickly concluded that not only could I recall the entirety of the AI’s complex lesson on wave theory—without even a single _syllable_ out of place—I could also remember every sensation I’d felt during the conversation, from sight to smell and everything in between. I was able to clearly reminisce on the scent of the evening air, of the exact color of the twilit sky, and even the complex patterns engraved in the bark of every tree trunk we passed. It was mind-boggling to truly comprehend—I _really did_ lack the ability to forget. Not even the smallest detail of any given memory was allowed to escape, etched into my mind with stunning clarity. I couldn’t deny being pleasantly surprised, yet there was still the ‘how’ and ‘why.’ Why was I like this in the first place?

 _I… I might be able to use this to win, though._ My brow furrowed. Now that I understood that my memories could never fade, I was able to quickly and easily sift through all the cases of Ayden striking me with his double throw. I could mentally visualize every muscle twitch, every sharp breath, every movement of his eyes in an instant. And thanks to that, I was able to divine a pattern. He had a method, one that required him to throw the same way each and every time. Of course there were always minute variations, subtle shifts in the muscle, but I could learn how to deal with those. If I could get the chance to practice it a few times, to learn how to compensate for his variations, then I would be able to deflect his throws—through _prediction._

I smiled happily, squirming with anticipation. Scuffing through a nearby patch of vegetation, I extracted a second branch, wrapping my free hand around it. _Using two at once just might allow me to protect myself better! If I can get used to it, that is…_ Spinning experimentally, I swung both branches together in a wide arc.

_I can do this._

The first few tries were embarrassing failures; often ending with the older boy walking away in a fit of laughter, mocking my insistence on using two unwieldy branches at once.

Yet I remained determined. It wasn’t long before the next round started, and once again I found Mitri looking out for me. “Don’t worry, Sif!” she bubbled while we scurried out of the town square, Ayden loudly counting down behind us. “You’ll get it eventually.” The girl stared skeptically at the extra branch clutched in my other hand. “But he’s right, though… you should just stick to one. It’s less complicated!”

 _Maybe…_ I cautiously followed the larger girl, listening for the sound of pursuing footsteps. We made our way through the back pathways, keeping out of sight. Every once in awhile we’d come across and startle another villager going about their business, rushing past them at top speed.

It wasn’t long before the harsh pounding of footfalls on compressed soil tailed us.

“THERE YOU ARE!” Ayden roared, opening up with a pair of airborne bean bags. I narrowly ducked with milliseconds to spare; Mitri yelled in anguish, struck in the small of her back.

“Run, Sif!” the girl cried pitifully, sinking to her knees to one side of the pathway. It cleared the way for my own panicked flight. Adrenalin surged through my veins, heart thudding heavily in my ears.

I cast a frightened glance back. The older boy wore a determined glare, screeching to a halt with a spray of dirt. _This time… this time for sure! One…_

One arm lifted, fingers grasping the first of the two projectiles. _Two…_

His wrist flicked, releasing the object. The boy’s arm dropped, splayed fingers reaching for the second. _Three. Here it comes!_

Time seemed to move in slow motion as I brought all my focus to bear on the incoming projectile. I’d managed to reach a state of exceptional and unnatural clarity, allowing me to focus on any particular thing and mentally pick it apart, learning all of its characteristics in real-world milliseconds.

Calculations flashed through my mind’s eye, intimidatingly complex but somehow known to me. _Um, speed… velocity… dista_ **_nce. Angle of approach. Rotation. External forces. Wave variations located—solution found._ **

The first bean bag grew in size, approaching quickly. I slowed and rotated, bringing up my branch as fast as I was able. I pulled it diagonally across my chest, straining… and deflected the projectile. It slammed into the wall of a house to my side with a muffled thump, tumbling inert into a patch of grass. The second quickly followed in turn, redirected with a swing of my second stick.

_How did I…_

Ayden gaped, mirroring my own confusion. “What the…” His glare grew in ferocity. “…Lucky.” He threw again; I deflected both again with ease, having finally figured out a working formula to block—even though I didn’t understand _how_ I’d done so.

“Sif…” Mitri breathed from further down the alleyway, floored by my sudden show of competence.

“Go after someone _else_ already!” I shot back desperately, taking his dumbfounded hesitation as an opportunity to flee. Darting down a side alley, I quickly lost the older boy; he was unable to catch up in time. I grinned the whole way, tightly gripping both sticks. _That was awesome!_

Eventually he got me; though it was because he caught me off guard, using an unpractised and lopsided throw that I was unable to compensate for. Even so, I smiled all the way back to the town square. _He can’t use the same tactic twice… cause I can just remember it, calculate its variables, and use that against him!_ Knowing that, I was able to hold my head high as I sat back down on my bench, letting both sticks tumble to the ground.

 **_> This is all a little bit beneath you, isn’t it?<_ ** an unknown voice quipped in the confines of my mind. **_> If you’re quite done abusing your eidetic memory and faster thought processing to mess with the local kids, head down to the canyon and follow the pathway to the west. It’s time.<_ **

I stiffened, grabbing my ears. _What was that?!_

The mysterious entity sighed. **_> C’mon, administrator. You’ve already done this before, remember? You called out to me for help when you fell off the tower two days ago.<_ **

_What the… Wait. Is that Sentinel…? But how is she—_

**_> It’s a no-brainer, you know!<_ ** the AI called out in a singsong manner, the tone somehow coming through despite its heavily distorted and synthesized state. **_> You’re the administrator, after all. Isn’t it natural that you’d have a permanent communications channel opened with the tower guardian controller? How else do you expect to order them around?<_ **

_How do I…_ Recalling the situation I’d found myself in two days ago, I struggled to bring up the fragment of memory where I’d inadvertently cried out to the AI for help. _Mmh… on that day, it felt like I was tugging on some kind of ghostly thread._

**_> …Administrator, are you gonna talk or what?<_ **

**_> I’M HERE.<_ ** My attempted call burst over our connection, soaring out into the ether. It was grating, metallic, and barely sounded like my own soft and lilting voice.

The AI winced. **_> …Okay. You need to refine your telepathy, but at least you can do it. Tell you what, just come meet me at the place I mentioned. Be ready to travel.<_ **

**_> OKAY.<_ ** The connection evaporated.

I hopped to my feet, glancing around. It looked like the game had just about ended; children had begun to wander off, heading back to work or to their homes. Even Mitri was nowhere to be seen.

 _I guess it’s as good as any time to leave, then…_ Shrugging, I headed over to the yawning chasm that lay only a short distance away from the square. As I reached the edge of the divide, I noted a narrow wooden pathway that dropped below the lip of the gorge, winding along the rock. Numerous houses lay alongside it, anchored to the cliff face. _That must be the path._

“Sif!” a familiar voice cried.

I turned around with mute curiosity to see a panting Mitri, hunched over with her hands on her knees. “Oh… hi.”

She gulped, swallowing air. “Where… where are you going?”

I silently pointed along the cliff trail. “Sentinel wanted to meet me, sooo… I have to go.”

“Oh…” Her voice was tinged with sadness. “It was really fun to play with you…!”

I nodded vigorously, clasping my hands together. “Yeah… it was.”

She nervously rubbed the back of her neck. “Um… listen! When you’re all done, do you wanna come over to my house for dinner? Maybe you can sleep over, too.”

My body locked up with sudden, paralyzing fear. A strangled sound emerged from my throat.

“Please, Sif,” the girl soothed. “You don’t need to be afraid! I really like you, okay? You’re _nice,_ and you’re _fun,_ and you don’t act like a stuffy goddess at all!”

I felt my cheeks flush at the warm praise. Mustering all my determination, I forced down my timidity. “…Okay. I will!”

“Yay!” she clapped with glee. “You’re staying at the chief’s house, right? I’ll come find you there tonight before dinner!” Burgeoning with energy, Mitri spun around and ran off, disappearing amongst the houses and trees before I could say anything further.

I bowed my head silently, grateful to finally have a friend. “Thank you…”

It was in that moment that my perspective of the world seemed to _shift_ ever-so-slightly. For the most fleeting of moments, the sensation of vertigo rushed through my body. My vision flashed, the world going dark before returning to normal with stunning radiance.

I blinked with confusion, unsure of what exactly had just happened. Everything felt… exactly the same as before. Didn’t it?

_Um… weird…_

I absentmindedly tugged at the shoulder straps of my dress, which hung from my slender frame like a tent. With my oversized boots loosely flopping about, I continued my brief trek through the human settlement.

**———————————————————**

“Sentinel, where are you?” I wondered aloud while romping down the pathway that wound along the canyon wall; the churning water surged beneath the wooden planks at my feet. Many of the buildings down here were places of industry—fish processing facilities, storage rooms, and the odd home for grizzled workers and antisocial hermits. Soon enough, I arrived at an oddity—a heap of rock spilling from a doorway that led deep into the sheer cliff face. In contrast to the rest of the village—judging by the look of the door—the underground building was made of steel, worn and rusted from exposure to the elements.

I paused, laying a palm on the rugged stone. _I wonder… is this the ‘complex’ that Sentinel and Cael were talking about the other day? The one that was flattened in the rockfall and had something to do with my origin or my awakening…_

My brow furrowed, as if I could learn more by the sheer will of concentration. However, the rocks remained unyielding. I sighed, backing off. _Maybe Cael will tell me if I ask him later?_

Words resolved in my mind, vanishing as fast as they’d arrived. **_The Seed Laboratory Complex; an isolated and neutral location where the tower’s finest researchers and engineers toiled day and night to study the processes required to create a—_ **

I stumbled as a sudden burst of white noise rippled through my mind.

 _W—what?!_ The sudden shock elicited a harsh gasp on my part, eyes wide with fear as my vision contracted to a tunnel. The world seemed to fade into white noise, the sounds of the village growing ever distant. Everything felt numb; I couldn’t even cry out.

It was happening again.

_No, no, no… go away go away go away!!_

And then it was gone in an instant. I fell onto my hands and knees, sucking air. My heart continued to flutter wildly in uncertain panic. My gut writhed in silent agony and I vomited, losing what was left of my breakfast between the cedar planks. Utterly spent, I went limp, breathing shallowly.

My body curled into a ball out of sheer reflex. _Why…_ I released a dry, wheezing cough, my stomach incessantly performing backflips like a champion gymnast.

I clambered to my feet, gripping the rock wall to steady myself; I didn’t trust my own legs. My eyes were blurry with tears.

_Why… why is this happening to me?!_

A sudden flash of realization—a recollection of my dream, the fragmented memories during my centuries-long sleep… of what I was perhaps meant to see.

**_SYNCHRONIZATION COMPLETE. ERROR. HARDWARE INCOMPLETE._ **

**_SYLPHIRA_ANSUL_ASCIYDRIA FUNCTIONALITY AT 81%._ **

_…I’m broken…_

My dark thoughts were put on hold as a muted rumble rose on the winds. I turned my curious eyes to the clear blue sky, more than willing to divert my attention from the unsettling issue at hand.

A white speck that gleamed in the light of the midday sun plunged from distant heights, rapidly growing in size as it drew closer. The object was preceded by a low roar, intensifying with every passing second.

I gaped, my back pressing up against the rock wall as a blur passed overhead, followed by a powerful rush of air that snatched at my hair and clothing. The throaty roar of powerful engines left me deafened. The treetops surged under the wash of engines as the indistinct shape came about, circling over the village before coming to a halt in midair over the canyon. It waited, motionless, hovering before my eyes like a mirage.

It was an aircraft, about twenty-five meters in length and easily dwarfing the horned tower guardian that Sentinel had utilized the previous day. Floating on unseen thrusters, the vehicle vaguely resembled the ringed drone that she had sent for me on that first night, except on a much larger scale. The midsection of the aircraft’s streamlined and elongated fuselage flared outwards horizontally into a pair of struts, connecting to an oval-shaped ring that girded the vehicle. Two oversized engines were mounted on opposite ends of the assembly, tipped with enormous intakes and tapering back into thrust-vectoring exhaust nozzles. The craft’s fuselage was covered in polished white metallic plates and bristled with stubby fins, its front end bulging out into an inline cockpit with a bubble canopy. Two massive rotary gun barrels protruded from the aircraft’s chin, bestowing it with an intensely intimidating profile.

The unidentified vehicle gradually shed altitude, drawing up right next to the wooden pathway that clung to the rock face. I could have reached out with one hand and touched it, the strange aircraft was so close. The glass canopy split open, inaudible against the roar of twin engines, and a telescopic ladder descended from a concealed access hatch.

 **> HI, ADMINISTRATOR!<** Sentinel blared over the din, her synthesized voice drowning out everything—including the sounds from her own vehicle.

“Um…! Sentinel!” I cried, frightened. “I need to tell—”

The planks shook beneath my feet as the aircraft pressed closer. **> WHAT?! SORRY, I CAN’T HEAR YOU! THIS THING IS A LITTLE LOUD!<**

“You’re not funny!” I yelled back, cupping my hands around my mouth.

 **> SAYS YOU!<** The vehicle bobbed in the closest manageable approximation of a playful shrug. **> GET IN ALREADY! WE’VE GOT PLACES TO GO!<**

I tentatively approached, hobbling over on unsteady legs. Viewing the swaying ladder that extended out over the gorge, I balked.

The AI huffed impatiently, sidling up as close as she was able to. The walkway creaked in distress, its timbers compressed between the cliff face and the encroaching aircraft. Whimpering in muffled panic, I scampered across the ladder, diving into the relatively safe cockpit.

The cabin was much roomier than I expected. Two sturdy-looking seats covered with belts and straps were arranged in front of a dashboard studded with countless dials, gauges, and buttons. A number of ghostly holographic surfaces hung in front of the windshield, each displaying incomprehensible measurements and calculations. A joystick rose up from the floor in front of each seat.

I shuffled forward, gingerly clambering over the controls. Peering behind the seats, I discovered that the cabin was even larger than I’d thought, burrowing deep into the aircraft’s fuselage. I supposed that thanks to the layout with the engines located separate from the main body, it allowed plenty of room for other features. I caught a quick glimpse of a flimsy bunk recessed into the wall, a tiny closet-sized bathroom, and even what appeared to be a simple galley and eating area. The cockpit hatch at my back slammed shut with a muffled thump, making me start. A hiss sounded through the cabin as it pressurized, cool air rushing in. The deafening rumble of engines seemed to fade away.

It was then that it occurred to me. “This… isn’t a tower guardian, is it?”

“Impressed?”

I whirled around at the sudden disembodied voice that echoed through the cockpit—Sentinel’s voice. “How’re you—”

“You’re right,” the AI interrupted, resolving in the air before my eyes. She gently sat down on the dashboard, holographic body shimmering. “This thing—one of my SC-12 Altos—isn’t a tower guardian… it’s a long story, actually. Maybe someday I’ll tell you.”

“…Uh-huh.” I skeptically folded my arms, planting myself down in the pilot’s seat. The formfitting structure was surprisingly soft and warm, even with the multitude of straps digging into my spine.

“Anywa—” The AI froze, turning her gaze on me. She blinked slowly, confusion written all over her face. “Uh…”

I quizzically peered up at her. “Um… w—what is it?”

“…Interesting.” She  quizzically scratched her head. “Administrator, have you happened to check a mirror lately? You _really_ should.”

I mirrored her confusion. “What do you mean…?”

Sentinel shook her head wearily. “…Never mind. I’ll clue you in later. At least _that_ aspect of your body is fully functional.”

“Oh… okay…” It wasn’t long before I recalled the issue at hand. “Sentinel! I… I have to tell you something…”

“What is it, administrator?” she questioned, her gray eyes flaring up with interest and concern. “Wait… is that _puke_ on your chin?”

The confession spilled from my trembling lips. I recalled the fragmented memories seen in my dream, as well as the new attack that had only just struck, leaving me curled up and vomiting on the deck. By the end of it, tears were rolling down my cheeks. I was frightened.

The AI nodded grimly. “…I see. That’s not what I expected, and to be honest some of it is a mystery to me. For example, what exactly is this ‘foreign object,’ and where is it located? Is it located in the tower’s systems? Directly inserted into the Apex’s hardware, perhaps? Though, in any case…” The cockpit shook like a leaf, a muffled roar of engines igniting beyond the glass bubble. The breath caught in my throat as the large aircraft lunged forward like a hungry predator, ascending into the skies. Through the cockpit glass, I caught a brief glimpse of flabbergasted onlookers, watching from the pathways and cliffs… and then we were gone, Mist’s Reach dwindling away into the distance. The boundless sky lay ahead as Sentinel angled out towards the abyss, speeding away from the tower and its surrounding field of floating islands.

 _Where are we going?_ I idly wondered.

“You should know,” the AI quipped, “that it _wasn’t_ a dream. What you saw was a recording from the tower itself. I’m betting that you drew something out from it while sleeping—a remnant of a time long past. The event in particular that you saw actually happened more than two centuries ago.” Her face darkened. “I can barely remember it anymore… but I know that it wasn’t a great day.”

“You can’t… remember…?”

“That’s right…” Sentinel said, staring desolately at the cabin floor. “It’s how I was made. Every century or so, I have to carry out a pretty thorough memory purge.” She tapped her forehead, grinning wryly. “It’s to stop my mind from becoming too sluggish and bloated… and also as a programmed restriction to stop me from going all _power-mad_ and destroying all humans. I have no actual say in the matter on whether I do it or not. It happens forcibly.”

“So… every hundred years, you become a whole new person?”

The AI shrugged. The cabin shook violently as the aircraft shattered the sound barrier, still accelerating away from the spire. “It depends how you define what a ‘whole new person’ is, I guess. I maintain my sense of self and I have vague memories from before my wipes, so I like to think that I’m still the same as I was when I was born seven centuries ago.

“I’m actually a little envious of you, you know. You don’t have any memory restrictions like I do! You could go on and on for millennia and never _ever_ forget a single thing!”

My eyes widened. “Wha…?!”

“Oh…” the AI mouthed, nodding sagely. “You don’t know that either, huh…”

“Don’t know _what?”_

Sentinel gave me an odd look. “Administrator, you’re immortal.”

I found myself with a lack of words. Not even the barest of thoughts flitted through my mind. All I could do was stare wide-eyed at the small figure that had broached the topic as casually as if she’d been discussing the weather. I hauntingly stared down at the bandages on my arm, sensing the grooved edges of the marking beneath.

_Immortality… telepathy… whatever the heck I did in the game with Mitri and Ayden… and my arm thing…_

“Sentinel…” I whispered frantically. “What _am_ I?!”

She remained silent. The shadows changed as Sentinel brought the aircraft about in a wide circle, coming to a sudden and jarring halt with an ease of the throttle. We hung motionless in the sky, the Alto’s engines remarkably holding the vehicle steady as a rock.

The AI gestured out through the windshield dead ahead. “Your answer’s right there. _That’s_ what you are, administrator.”

Asciydria Tower loomed on the horizon, fully visible in its entirety for the first time. Its white flanks gleamed in the brilliant sunlight, the spire’s monolithic bulk cutting an imposing silhouette amongst the endless sea of clouds. I couldn’t help but feel a strange and misplaced pang of loneliness and homesickness upon seeing it so far away.

Even seen from afar, the spire was beyond massive. Its bloated midsection blotted out vast swaths of cloud-speckled sky, its features blurry thanks to the incredible distance. Above the tower’s flared superstructure lay the once-hidden upper third, no longer beyond my eyesight thanks to this new angle. Narrow and knifelike, it rose up like a swordsman’s blade, cutting through the wind. A small notch about halfway up buried deep into the leading edge of the sail-shaped formation. **_Apex,_ ** the same artificial voice from before hissed from the depths of my subconsciousness. **_Core. Control nexus. Birthplace…_ ** I shook my head rapidly, clearing the foreign sensation.

My eyes continued to rove all over the gargantuan structure with vested interest. I noted a vast, cylindrical enclosure at the base of the spire’s upper section, slowly rotating and emitting a withering glare through a vent at its center. Above it lay a pair of glittering discs that shone with multicolored light from all across the spectrum. I clearly remembered being captivated by them when I’d first woken up.

Panning my eyes ever upward, I finally caught a glimpse of the tower’s tapered pinnacle, the terminus of all things and reaching beyond the edge of Ar Ciel’s atmosphere. It was mind-boggling to wrap my head around it. It truly was an incredible feat of engineering, and not for the first time I wondered who had built it—and why.

 _But what’s the base…?_ I brought my gaze downward this time, slipping past the scattered field of floating landmasses. I lingered on them for the barest of moments—noting the cascading waterfalls that plunged into the clouds and the multitude of tiny, shattered fragments of drifting rock at the outer reaches—before continuing on.

Below the Isles of Aria lay a massive, bell-shaped structure, enclosed in a sort of free-floating frame. The curved and blackened metal seemed to crackle with raw energy, the air around it shimmering with radiated heat. The base of the component emitted a raw blue luminescence, occasionally flaring up with flashes of colorless light.

Further down, the clouds began to encroach on the tower in a sinister fashion, hiding whatever lay below from my eyes. But even so, I was able to make out… _something._ Some other object, almost completely hidden amongst the fog. Clouds circled it like a churning whirlpool, and flashes of blinding white light ignited through gaps in the mist. It was a strange feeling; even though I didn’t know what the unknown tower component was, I couldn’t help but feel a trill of fear and apprehension.

“That, administrator,” the AI stated calmly, “is Asciydria Tower in its entirety. It’s impressive, sure; but when you’ve been climbing the damn thing for _centuries,_ the novelty starts to wear off a little.

“Now, my question is… does seeing that invoke any thoughts or feelings within you?” she pressed. “Any repressed memories, popping back in?”

 _But… but that doesn’t…_ I hung my head. “I don’t understand… That doesn’t have _anything_ to do with what I asked, it’s just a really big building!”

“Want me to crack a window so you can get a better view?” Sentinel asked dryly.

“…No thanks.”

“Smart choice!” the AI announced airly. “We’re beyond the range of the Ion Corridor now. Opening a window now would suck all the air out!”

“…”

She winced, her poorly-timed joke falling flat. “…Okay. No more jokes…” I was shoved back in my seat with another sudden burst of acceleration, the tower rapidly growing in size.

 _“Whoa!_ Sentinel?! Where are we going?”

“I took you out here to see the rest of your physical body,” the AI stated cryptically, orienting the aircraft so that it plunged towards the waiting Isles of Aria. “Now that you have, we’re going to our _original_ destination—Sphilar Prism. Or at least… what remains of it.”

**———————————————————**

I gaped up at the monolithic shape before me, too stunned to clamber out of the cockpit even though the hatch had already opened and the ladder had extended. “What is this place…? Why are we here?”

Almost as tall as the mountain that lay behind it, an enormous metallic structure rose out of the coniferous forest, its pinnacle hidden in the wispy clouds overhead. It was narrow, thin, and extraordinarily tall—almost three kilometers in height. It was if a giant warrior had come to rest here, planting his sword in the ground before departing. Constructed with equal portions of bleached white plating and jet-black hardened steel, the construct was marred with vicious burn marks and craters. Large fragments of debris lay strewn across the woods, a forest of twisted metal even rising from the shallows of a nearby mountain lake. It was evident that whatever had happened here was sudden, violent, and messy, spreading wreckage across the island.

The AI’s hologram drifted to my side, demurely planting herself on my shoulder. She peered off to one side, gaze drawn by a huge block of pockmarked steel that lay on the far side of the clearing; the forest was littered with the remains of the immense structure. “It’s a mass grave,” she said sorrowfully, a solemn look in her gray eyes. “This place—the wreckage of Sphilar Prism—was where thousands of souls were stored at one time… right up until it exploded and plunged all the way down here, ending the lives of all who lived within it. And we’re here so I can pick it apart and examine it for clues.”

Driving her point home, the air was suddenly filled with a low hum. Turning my face to the skies, I was stunned to see thin black clouds rapidly moving in—an immense swarm of tower guardians, bearing down on the wrecked construct. There must have been t _housands_ of them.

“Whoa…” I shook my head, getting back on track. “Wait, so people lived in it?” I thought for a moment, my brow furrowing. “It had a city inside?”

Sentinel shook her head, laughing without a hint of humor. “Nothing like that…  Sphilar Prism was a tower component known as an SH server—a complex computing and processing system, once hosting thousands of artificial minds at once.”

“Artificial minds? Like you?” I questioned, clambering down to the mossy ground.

“No,” she uttered forebodingly. “Like _you.”_

“What?! But I’m not…” I denied it frantically, feeling the blood rush to my face. “I’m not a robot! I _can’t_ be! I eat, I sleep, I breathe, and I _bleed!”_

“To be fair, it’s worth noting that you don’t actually _need_ to eat or sleep,” the AI replied, blinking slowly. “Up ‘till now, you’ve just been doing it out of simple _reflex._ Funny thing, right?”

“But… but…” I stumbled, feeling weak in the knees.

“I know that might sound crazy,” she added, “but you _are_ in fact a robot—or rather, in your case the term ‘gynoid’ would be more specific. Granted, you’re a _really well-made_ machine—resembling a human almost down to the cellular level, cybernetic parts notwithstanding—but a machine nonetheless.””

“No, no…” I fell to my hands and knees, gasping. “No way…”

Suddenly, flashes of memory. Snippets of conversation, fragments from the distant past. All collecting in this moment to show me what I’d actually known all along, buried beneath layers of confusion and denial.

**_…SYLPHIRA_ANSUL_ASCIYDRIA FUNCTIONALITY AT 81%…_ **

**_…abusing your eidetic memory and faster thought processing to mess with the…_ **

**_…Isn’t it natural that you’d have a permanent communications channel opened with the tower guardian controller?…_ **

I swallowed hard, understanding at last. _…She’s right._

My palms slipped on the damp moss, leaving me lying facedown on the forest floor. I wrapped a hand tightly around the socket on my forearm, curling up into the fetal position. “I… it feels like I can’t breathe…”

“I know,” she said reassuringly, patting me on the wrist. “It’ll be okay. That’s why we’re here, so you can learn what you really are, with no more secrets or unknowns. And eventually, you’ll have the strength and knowledge to save the tower from its coming ruin.”

She tapped her lip, thinking. “Now… how do I start this off?”

I remained silent, listlessly staring down at the port on my arm.

“Ah! I got it.” The AI snapped her fingers. “You see, administrator, a long time ago—in the old world of Ar Ciel—there were two human alliances known as Sol Ciel and Sol Cluster, each separated from the other by a vast ocean. There are more regions and alliances than those two, and each one was made up of its own smaller nations, but those two big ones are the most relevant for our purposes.”

Sentinel’s pudgy face hardened. “Asciydria Tower stands in southeast Sol Cluster, in a region that was once called the Aria Peninsula. Both you and I were created here too. National pride aside though, I can’t condone the actions of our government—because humans are humans, and humans are _literally the worst.”_

For one moment, I cast aside my own self-doubt and grief. _That’s not true! I’ve seen it…_

I thought of Mitri, of Ayden, of Triha, of Cael and Serafi too. All of the villagers whom I’d only just met, yet had shown me—a complete stranger—extraordinary kindness and goodwill. I couldn’t see the villagers of Mist’s Reach as anything other than warm and kindhearted. I knew in my heart that Sentinel was wrong.

“So yeah, _of course_ we were at war with Sol Ciel. Now, you might be wondering how this relates to you,” she said with a raised eyebrow. “The thing is, it wasn’t exactly a normal war… at least, not at the start. It started as a simple cold war that went on for centuries and reached a breaking point.”

“Cold war…?”

“The most cynical humans would have called it a _dick-measuring contest,”_ the AI quipped. “It was a centuries-long state of political tension between Sol Ciel and Sol Cluster, known as the Thousand-Year War, brought to a head by the construction of the first of the amplification towers. It spawned an arms race and an outbreak of espionage and subterfuge and general deviousness—all to decide which nation would dominate the globe for the next few years until another competitor inevitably rose up. You, me, and Asciydria Tower were among the results from said arms race though, so I guess it wasn’t _all_ bad!”

“So,” I gathered, “Asciydria was the first tower? You said there were… um, three, right?”

The AI grinned, shaking her head. “If you’d said that in Sol Ciel seven hundred years ago, you’d have been stabbed by a disgruntled passerby pretty damn fast. No, we were the _second_ tower to pop up. The first—and largest—was a Sol Ciel installation known as Ar Tonelico. And there’s actually _four_ towers, not three… but one of them’s _technically_ not an amplifica—y’know what, I’m getting off topic.” She grimaced, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You want to know exactly what you are?”

I nodded hesitantly.

“You’re an artificial lifeform called a Reyvateil—a Reyvateil Origin. Your race was created by humanity hundreds of years ago during some of their forays into AI development, for the express purpose of wielding song magic through H-waves in unfathomably powerful ways—ways that your human creators would _never_ be able to match. You’re one of the first of your kind, actually! You’re also the only Origin to be created by the Sol Cluster alliance, so hey, claim to fame there.

“Your body itself—though resembling that of a human—is made up of a malleable nanotech-based fluid compound shaped into a physical form, studded with cybernetic parts here and there. Also, your soul isn’t even located inside your body. It’s stored—” the AI pointed to the north, where the monolithic bulk of Asciydria Tower lay, “—inside _that._ Within an SH server, just like Sphilar Prism. You actually have your own personal one near the top of the spire because of your prestigious status as Tower Administrator. Lucky you.”

Sentinel raised an eyebrow. “You want to know why everyone—including me—calls you an administrator, though? It’s because that’s your reason for being. You were _built,_ not born, and it was for the purpose of being fused with the tower—to maintain it, control it, and use it in a way that no other being on Ar Ciel can. In fact, your tower connection is so powerful that the structure itself could be considered an extension of your body. Effectively, you _are_ Asciydria Tower.”

I remained silent, utterly overwhelmed by the reality-crushing spiel. If what Sentinel had said was true, then this body… this wasn’t even really _me._ I was merely _software,_ stored in the tower’s systems, only able to interact with the world via manipulating a robotic proxy.

The AI patted my wrist affectionately. “Now, I know that’s a lot to take in, and there’s a lot more to it than that. But you’re a newborn—body and soul—and because of that, I understand that you won’t be able to do everything right away. Not to mention, I completely lack the ability to even _comprehend_ what it feels like to literally _be_ the tower, so some of this stuff you’ll only be able to learn on your own. But… I have faith that you can, given time.”

 _Hundreds of years… immortality… newborn?_ “Sentinel… how old am I…?”

She shrugged, releasing her grip on my arm and setting down on the wide-brimmed leaf of a nearby fern. “I dunno, what do you think counts as your true age? If you mean _mental,_ then you’re only a couple days old—fragmented memories notwithstanding. If you mean _physical,_ then you’re—” she closed her eyes, her face scrunching up in concentration, “—740 years old, your physical body’s construction having been completed in the year 3030. You’re actually coming up on your 741st anniversary, interestingly enough, so happy almost-birthday!”

“No way…” I breathed, staring wide-eyed off into space.

“Though I should add an addendum to that immortality statement,” The AI quickly added. “Though it’s true that old age will never claim you and you’ll regenerate from wounds quickly, you can still die in a multitude of fun and interesting ways. If your head experienced catastrophic trauma—due to the presence of your triangular nuclear loop, your body’s power source—or if you got disconnected from your SH server—which would be like having your _soul_ ripped from you, so don’t try that at home—to name a few examples. And your immortality only lasts as long as the tower does, too! If Asciydria were to collapse, you would die instantly.”

 _It… can’t be true…_ “I… I don’t believe it. If I’m really that old, why do I look and feel like a little _kid?!_ I look just like the other kids in Mist’s Reach!”

“That’s easy,” Sentinel replied with an eyeroll. “Remember what I said about your body being made up of a malleable fluid compound? Keyword there being ‘malleable.’ It can change its state when being acted upon by specific wave types and frequencies. That’s because of a component in your body known as an SD-cellophane. It dictates your mental and physical growth, ensuring that your psyche and body always match. It does so by comparing your mental self-image to that of your body’s specifications. If there’s an anomaly then your body will change, increasing or regressing in age to accommodate your mental state.

“In fact…” the AI turned her head to one side, drawing up a small holographic reflective display, “…I want you to take a look in this mirror now. You can see the effects in action yourself.”

“Um…?” I leaned into the mirror, blinking slowly. I wasn’t sure what I was expected to find. Squinting, I peered into the small display.

I gasped, eyes widening. _What?!_

I had _changed._ My face had become even softer and pudgier, cheeks now puffing out slightly as if I were holding my breath. My eyes seemed to have enlarged somewhat—or perhaps it was because everything else on my face had _shrank_. For the first time today I examined my hands, noting with wonder that the slender digits had grown stubbier, fatter. There was no doubt in my mind that I no longer appeared to be twelve years old—not even close.

“See?” the AI said plaintively. “You look like you’re only about… eight or nine human years old now, perhaps even less. Your body has regressed in age to match your psyche, probably because you were interacting with those children. I _knew_ that spending time with the humans was a bad idea…”

I flexed my fingers, utterly shellshocked. I couldn’t believe it. “This can’t be real…”

“I can assure you that it is,” Sentinel replied. “Your physical state is fluid and dynamic, subject to changing under the proper conditions. Keep in mind; while you can regress in age, you can also go in the _other_ direction too.”

My head snapped up. “Wait… I can grow older… just by _imagining_ myself as someone older?”

She shook her head. “It’s not that simple. You’ll only change if you can truly see yourself as having matured. It’s not enough to have an impulse; you have to _believe_ it, through and through. That’s not something you can fake.

“Well,” the AI shrugged, “that’s what you are.” She watched me carefully. “What do you think?”

“I… I need a moment…” I stammered, weakly clambering to my feet. I had been blasted with revelation after revelation, shattering what I thought I’d known until there was nothing left.

Sentinel nodded, rising up off her leafy seat. “I understand, administrator. I’ll remain here; I still have to finish checking out this derelict, and I need this Alto’s advanced sensor package for it. I’ve only got a couple of these things on hand, after all. The rest got trapped in Section B when the prome wall reactiva—” She fell silent, perhaps realizing that I wasn’t focusing my attention on her anymore. “Anyway, just let me know when you get back.”

“Okay…” I wandered off into the forest alone, plenty weighing on my mind.

**———————————————————**

I stared unhappily into the depths of the bubbling forest stream, sunlight glittering off its glassy surface. My reflection stared back—snow-white hair in disarray and strewn with leaves, alabaster skin pitted with scrapes from encroaching branches, and startlingly-blue eyes that had lost much of their vibrant light.

I pinched a cheek, rolling the soft flesh between my slender fingers. _Machine…_

It was difficult… no, _impossible_ to believe that it was artificial, designed and assembled in some long-forgotten lab. But what Sentinel had said all fit, and it matched up with what little I’d managed to learn on my own. I was forced to face the harsh reality. A hollow pit in my gut made its presence abundantly clear.

I swatted at the mirror-like surface, averting my eyes.

 _Does it really even make a difference?_ a more rational part of my mind challenged. _You’re still you. Nothing’s changed; all you’ve done is learn something new. Is that really such a bad thing?_

I hung my head, listening to the sound of the birds amongst the trees. _I… I dunno… What about my new friends? Won’t they be scared and hate me…?_

 _Probably not,_ my other side was quick to point out. _They already know you’re not exactly an average girl. Heck, look at your reflection! You don’t even look normal, and they were still just as kind and willing to play with you! You’ll be fine. They’ll understand._

 _You’re… you’re right._ I’m _right._ I exhaled with relief, drawing back from the water’s edge. _It’s hard to accept, and I’m not okay with it just yet… but I think I can learn to live with this._

Revitalized, I made the short trek back through the woods, taking far greater care to avoid hurting myself this time. Upon wandering into the clearing where I’d previously left the small AI, I marveled at how the scrapes across my arms and face had already faded away. It was a little disconcerting with how quickly it happened.

I peered around quizzically. Sentinel was gone, as was the aircraft that had carried me here. The glade was empty.

“Um… Sentinel?” I called out, my soft voice projecting out into the trees. Only silence answered my query.

 _Hmm…_ My brow furrowed. **_> SENTINEL? ARE YOU THERE?<_ **

**_> Oh!<_ ** The familiar silhouette of the Alto descended from on high, arriving in under a minute. As the airborne vehicle touched down, a startled Sentinel reappeared, smoothing out her navy blue robe with tiny hands. “Administrator, you’re back. Have you thought about your… uh, thing? How do you feel?”

“I’ve decided,” I declared hesitantly, approaching the aircraft, “that while it kinda freaks me out… I can get used to it. At least, I hope so…”

She smiled kindly, holographic face lighting up with warmth. “Glad to hear it.” Her visage soured moments later. “I’ve finished scanning the wreckage… again… and just like I thought, there isn’t any relevant data. Looks like we’re still in the dark.”

“About what’s wrong with me…?”

“That’s right,” Sentinel said grimly, nodding. “I suspect that it’s a kind of connection issue, but the real issue with that is that it could be _anything._ Perhaps your SH server is damaged—which is highly possible, considering Sphilar Prism used to orbit the tower at that altitude until it exploded. Maybe it’s your body’s power source—the triangular nuclear loop. Maybe it’s your shoddy and rushed construction that resulted in a damaged mental state… or maybe it’s your _soul itself.”_ She shrugged helplessly. “I… I don’t know.”

 _Shoddy and rushed construction…_ “Isn’t there _anything_ you can do?” I pleaded, desperate.

The Alto’s canopy popped open with a muted hiss, telescopic ladder extending down before my eyes. “No. I don’t have the hardware needed to do advanced medical procedures—especially not on _you_ of all people. Even that little room in the silvaplate where you woke up was just a storage room that I’d cleaned up, modified, and sterilized in the space of a few hours.”

“Oh…” I clambered up into the cockpit, dejected. It didn’t seem as roomy anymore.

“Don’t give up, administrator!” Sentinel said encouragingly, taking her place on the pilot’s console. “We’ll figure _something_ out eventually. The most advanced medical facilities were located higher up on the spire, and you can bet your butt that we’ll look into those when we can.” My stomach dropped to my toes as the aircraft’s nose lifted, the vehicle ascending above the treetops. The forlorn ruins of Sphilar Prism slid out of sight, engulfed by cloud. “For now, though… let’s get you back to Mist’s Reach.”

A warm yet timid smile tugged at my lips. “Mitri wanted me to sleep over tonight…”

The AI flinched; the Alto’s engines faltered for the barest of moments. “…Be careful, administrator. You don’t know it, but you’re walking on a dangerous path. Don’t make a mistake and trust the humans. You _will_ get burned.”

“But… but they’re really nice!”

“The humans are kind to you because they’re aware that at full power, you could kill them all with a flick of your _pinkie finger,”_ the AI countered, her voice having iced over. “They don’t call you a deity for nothing. It’s out of ignorance and fear, nothing more.”

“You’re wrong,” I muttered. “I felt it… felt _them…”_

“I’m just… warning you, administrator,” Sentinel said quietly, eyes downturned. Locks of jet-black hair had fallen into her face. “Be careful around the humans. Watch your back and all that—even around the small ones. I can tell you that no matter how much faith you have in them, no matter what you do for them… they will stab you in the back in a _heartbeat_ if it offers them an advantage.” She lifted her head, eyes blazing with indescribable rage… and what I thought was the brief shining of tears. “I say that from _personal_ experience.”

Feeling like I’d witnessed a side of the AI that I wasn’t meant to, I relented. “…Are you gonna stop me, then? Not let me go?”

Sentinel huffed loudly. “No. Even though I don’t _like_ it, ultimately you’re my administrator. In light of that, I defer to you.” She crossed her arms, eyeing me expectantly.

“Oh…” I took a sidelong gaze out the curved window, lazily watching the multitude of islands slip by like chunks of driftwood on the ocean. The gargantuan main shaft of the spire took up position dead center, shrouded amongst the mists. “I’m… I’m gonna go to Mitri’s.”

“Understood,” she said stonily, a flash of annoyance crossing her face. “I’ll leave you to your… stuff, then.” Her hologram vanished into the dashboard with a smear of dissipating particles, leaving me alone in the cabin.

Silence permeated the cockpit for an uncomfortably-long amount of time. The twin peaks of Mist’s Reach loomed ahead, only separated by a thin line of rainclouds.

“By the way, administrator…” The AI’s voice came in through an intercom, broken up by bursts of static.

I peered up at the tiny speaker. “Mmh?”

“When was the last time you had a bath or shower?” she asked innocently. “You need to be nice and clean for your little… uh, visit tonight.”

“Not… since I woke up…”

“That’s fine,” she said slyly. “We can take care of that _right now._ We’re in range of the Ion Corridor now, so this should be okay…” The AI backed off on the throttle, the thrum of engines dying down.

 _Wait… what’s happening?_ The aircraft began to shed altitude, and the cockpit tilted as my artificial pilot brought the vehicle about to a new heading—directly towards the cluster of rainclouds, which were in the midst of unleashing their deluge on the woods below.

I froze in my seat, realizing what she was planning. “You… you wouldn’t.”

The cockpit hatch unsealed with an audible click, spelling out my fate.

“Administrator, it’s **BATHTIME! <** the AI gleefully announced despite my horrified reaction. I felt my stomach lurch as the engines suddenly surged to life, the Alto nimbly rocketing straight into the wall of gray clouds.

“NOOOO!” I shrieked as a sudden torrent of rainwater rushed in through the open canopy, leaving me waterlogged in seconds. It left me sputtering, wet clumps of hair stuck to my face.

The ordeal lasted no more than five seconds, the agile vehicle soaring out of the squall on the other side moments later. The floor beneath me shook as the aircraft’s belly split open, landing gear unfolding while it descended towards the human village as if nothing had happened.

 **> HOW’S THAT?<** Sentinel cackled in her electronic voice through the intercom, the Alto coming to a sudden and jarring halt as it set down at the edge of the settlement.

“You’re a _jerk!_ ” I screeched angrily, scrambling out from the cockpit. The outer hull was slick with rainwater; I slipped on the way down, landing on my backside in a convenient cluster of ferns. Indignantly bundling up as best I could in my soaked dress and cloak, I stalked back towards the village, Cael’s house visible amongst the trees. _I hate you. I hate you. I hate you._

**———————————————————**

“Sylphira!” Serafi called out, her voice penetrating through the wooden door to my room. “Mitri’s waiting at the door! Are you ready to go, dear?”

“Um… just a minute, please!” I hollered back, indecisive over what to wear.

Serafi had been confused as to why I’d shown up on her front porch looking much more youthful—as well as utterly soaked to the bone. I didn’t respond, grumbling all the while as I headed for the guest room. After toweling off and grabbing a bite to eat, I’d begun to prepare to head off with my new friend for the night. I now stood over the pile of clothes that the AI had originally left me, uncertain.

 _Mmh…_ I pored over the vast selection of colored textiles. _I think… I really like white._ I pushed aside the majority of the pile, resolute in my decision.

I ended up taking a clean and simple turtleneck, the thick fabric bleached the same color as my hair. Just a tad too large, the garment’s long sleeves came down to my knuckles. A dark gray pleated skirt girded my hips, and my legs were clad with a matching pair of wonderfully soft thigh-high socks. A clean bandage was wrapped around my forearm, and a different pair of flat boots that matched my new dimensions went on my feet.

I tentatively left my room behind, heading for the entrance to Serafi’s home where the two waited for me.

“Oh, dear,” Serafi cooed, smiling warmly. “You look absolutely adorable!”

“Yeah! It’s really cute, Sif!” Mitri chimed in. “You look _totally_ different in that. The sweater makes you so cute and adorable, like a little kid!”

I was a little too fearful at the moment to explain my sudden metamorphosis to the eager girl. I wished I still had my hooded cloak with me, for I wanted nothing more than to hide beneath it. I settled for the turtleneck’s high collar, timidly burying my face in the warm material.

“No need to be shy, dear.” The older woman gave me a gentle push, ushering me out the door. “Go, have fun. I’ll see you tomorrow!” She nodded kindly to Mitri. “Say hi to your mother for me.”

“Will do!” The larger girl’s hand locked tightly around my slender wrist. “C’mon, Sif! This way!” She dragged me out into the street, eagerly leading me through the village.

It wasn’t long before we’d arrived at her home, and it was quite unlike Cael’s and Serafi’s. Though the design was different, it was every bit as impressive as the building where I was staying… perhaps even moreso.

Built at the roots of a massive redwood that must have been at least a hundred meters tall, the alpine lodging appeared to be mostly recessed into the plant’s enormous girth. Several windows recessed into the trunk emanated warm light, and smoke billowed from a small chimney that emerged from the tree at a slanted angle. A meticulously-maintained garden brimming with delicate purple flowers and lush ferns that were arranged around scattered rocks and trees lined the pathway that led up to the home’s front porch, which was one of the few parts of the lodging not hidden inside the tree. Countless blocks of firewood spilled from a shed around the side, and a number of intimidating lumber axes hung from hooks in the structure’s interior.

“It’s nice, right?” Mitri asked in a pleased manner, seeing my dazzled expression. “Papa’s one of the best loggers in town, so we got one of the nicest houses to boot!” She released my hand, sprinting to the front door and throwing it open. “Over here slowpoke, I’ll show you around! Mama’s gonna be home, but papa’s probably still out working.”

I tentatively followed her in, gulping nervously. _More people to meet…_

Finding myself in a candlelit foyer, I glanced around with interest. An overwhelming amount of potted plants of all kind filled the corridor, many fed by a rigged-up system of water pipes and sprinklers that hung from the wooden ceiling. I could see even more further in; it was like an indoor jungle. The air smelled earthy; no surprise, what with all the plants.

“Mama, I’m hoooome!” Mitri called out at the top of her lungs.

“What does your mommy do, anyway…?” I asked, floored with the vast array of botany on display.

“She’s an herbalist,” the other girl explained, kicking off her boots. “Sometimes she helps out the village doctor out, too! She’s great at making medicines…” her nose wrinkled, “…even if they do taste really gross. Also, you shouldn’t say ‘mommy.’ That’s baby talk!”

“Oh…” I stared at the floor, embarrassed.

A woman rounded the corner, stepping into the entryway from the depths of the house. The first thing I noticed was her clothing. Garbed in a heavy robe with a stained apron tied around the front, as well as a plethora of gardening tools that hung from a narrow belt around her waist, she projected the image of a woman who spent all her time gardening or working outdoors. Her chestnut-brown hair was cropped short, held back with a simple hairband. Her weathered and angular face, once possessing great beauty, now held only crow’s feet and deeply etched laugh lines from one who spent the majority of her life smiling. She seemed oh-so friendly; I couldn’t help but like her at first glance.

The woman waved, her hands encased in thin leather gloves that were caked with soil. “Hey, kiddo. Did you bring your little fr—wait.” Her forest-green eyes widened with recognition. _“This_ is your new friend?! She’s a bit smaller than I remembered…”

A flash of recollection. _Oh! She was one of the people who saw when I arrived with Sentinel…_ I timidly moved behind Mitri, remembering my embarrassing introduction to the woman and her fellow humans—being tossed into a pile of hay at the AI’s hands.

A gloved hand snaked its way into mine, vigorously shaking it. “Pleased to meet you! My name’s Evecia. Evecia Perric.” She released her grip, leaving brown stains on my palm.

My nose wrinkled in silent disgust while I shook the dusting of soil from my hand. “I’m Sylphira… or, um, Sif I guess.”

“Mhm,” she hummed, withdrawing back into the foliage deeper in the house. “C’mon in! I’ll fix you two up something, just after I finish trimming these last few shoots…” The woman’s voice trailed off, the plants drawing her full attention.

Mitri led me out of the foyer, towards a stairway hewn through the tree’s innards. “Mama’s gonna be busy for awhile yet, I think. A lot of people have been getting sick lately and need her herbs. C’mon, I’ll show you my room!”

I followed the girl up the winding steps, passing through at least two levels before reaching a small chamber. Layers of cool green fabric covered the rough wooden walls, and sunlight poured in through a wide set of windows and doors on the far side of the room. It led out to a small balcony, adorned with small potted plants and what looked like a hastily-built telescope made from scrap metal.

The room itself was scattered with plush furniture that varied from forest-green to sky-blue. A double bed sat in the middle of the chamber, pushed up against a wall. A full quarter of the room was lined with bookshelves, most of which were buried under heaps of decaying paper and ancient pieces of literature. I felt naturally drawn to them. _Lots of books…_

“Um, by the way, Sif…” the taller girl wrung her hands hesitantly. “Did something happen to you? I thought it was just your new top at first, but… you’re a lot smaller! And your face changed, too!”

My eyes wavered, drawn away from the endless tiers of literature. “I… I…” I took a shaky breath. “M—Mitri… you know that I’m not a human like you, right…?”

“Well, duh!” she exclaimed. “You’re a goddess! That’s what mama and the village chief said.”

I hung my head shamefully. “T—they’re wrong… Sentinel told me. She said that I was a… was a   _machine.”_ I shamefully spat the last word out. Scrunching up my face, I braced for the worst.

A long period of silence passed. My heart had stopped, frozen while it waited for the girl’s reply.

“That’s so _cool!”_ she bubbled excitedly, grasping my hand. “Is that why all those stories talk about you being able to control the tower? And that’s why you’re friends with that AI person? And that’s why your appearance changed, too!” Her eyes glowed. “Can you do it again? Make yourself look different? You should totally make your hair purple! Oh, or maybe green!”

“Um…” I stammered weakly, not expecting the response I got. “I… don’t think… I can control it like that. It’s, um… subconscious stuff.”

“Awww…” The girl sighed dejectedly, leaning back. “But still, that’s really awesome!”

I exhaled with relief, slumping back. “I—I was so scared that you wouldn’t like me anymore…”

She patted me affectionately on the head. “Don’t _ever_ feel like that, Sif. You’re my friend, okay? As long as you are, then I don’t care if you’re weird or anything. …Actually, can I call you ‘little sister Sif?’ You look like you could be now!”

I folded my arms across my chest. “Please don’t…” I mumbled, cheeks burning. My eyes searched around the room, frantically looking for anything to change the topic. “Where’d you get all these books from, anyway?”

She shrugged. “Most of them are Triha’s, but she doesn’t have enough room to keep them at her home. Some of them are gifts from Ayden’s papa. He goes off on an expedition into the tower once every year, and brings them back for me. He’s _really_ brave! Everyone else is too scared to go inside. All the rest are things that other villagers made a really long time ago, back when a lot more people lived here.”

I took a half-step closer to the wall of books. “Can I look at them…? Please?”

The girl flopped down on her bed, bouncing around. “Sure, I guess. Just don’t break anything, ‘kay?”

“Okay! Thank you!” I eagerly hurried over to the shelves, the pleasant aroma of ink and paper swirling through the air. “Oh, um… Mitri? Where’s that one with the goddess stuff you were talking about?”

Mitri’s nose wrinkled. “Um… I think it’s at the top left of the next shelf over? It’s been a really long time since I looked at it. It’s got a green cover, if that helps.”

The last term was surprisingly descriptive; most of the ‘books’ barely even qualified as such, most being nothing more than bundles of loose and mismatched papers bound together. Those with covers were leather-bound in faded gray and brown hues. Color was few and far between, and thanks to that it wasn’t long before I had the book in my hands—after pleading for the taller girl to get it for me, as I was now too short to reach the uppermost shelf. My recent age regression had taken a significant amount of my height with it.

I ran my fingertips across the cover, feeling the runes etched into it. _Mmmh… Remnants of the Old World : Origins… Cool! …Even though it looks like this cover comes from another book._

The leather binding creaked as the book split open, a small puff of dust rising from the yellowed pages. It wasn’t exactly a proper book per say; the pages appeared to have come from many different sources, and many were even written by hand. A number of complicated diagrams and more than a few interesting photos filled the sheets of aging parchment.

I peered at a nondescript passage on a random page.

_…ideal for the intersection of the time axis as well as the individual consciousness field. This convergence exists in the 50-20000 Hz range—the FFT Spectrum. From this, it can be determined that…_

A frown crossed my face. “This… isn’t really a storybook like you said…”

“It’s got plenty of stories!” Mitri piped up. “You just have to find them, that’s all!” She rose from her bed. “Here, I’ll show you something. It’s right near the start if the book.”

The girl snatched the book from my hands, flipping back a few dozen pages before handing it back. “Here. This is the picture I was talking about.”

I peered closely at the page… and gasped.

Three figures stared at me from a large illustration on the faded parchment, each one with a face that was absent of joy. All three were clad in various forms of armor and sleek, futuristic clothing, and seemed to carry themselves with an air of austerity and resolve. And just like the older girl had said, each one sported a pair of ghostly _wings._

_The Origins of Ar Ciel_

_The de-facto mothers of the Reyvateil race, created by the great Sol Ciel alliance. Seen from left to right; Reyvateil-Origin Shurelia (the first, born in 3031, administrator of Ar Tonelico Tower), Reyvateil-Origin Frelia (the second, born in 3032, administrator of Metafalss Tower), Reyvateil-Origin Tyria (the third, born in 3033, future administrator of Harvestasha Tower)._

_In-depth descriptions and declassified specifications of each individual construct can be seen in article 4 on page 17._

My brow furrowed. _Wait. It says that this ‘Shurelia’ is the first. But… but Sentinel said that I was born in 3030, which would make_ me _the first! Where am I in this, then…? Is this thing wrong, or was Sentinel just messing with me?_

I sighed, resting the book on the shelf. _…Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past her._

“It’s neat, right? See what I mean, though? You don’t look anything like them! And you‘re not even in there! That’s why I thought mama was just joking around when she told me.”

“…Uh huh.” I carefully hoisted the bundle of pages once more. “Um, Mitri… can I keep looking at this? Please?”

“Mhm! Go right ahead!” The girl pushed up against the heap of pillows piled at the headboard. “Can you grab me something too? It’s on the… bottom middle shelf, I think. It’s got a yellow cover with a diamond pattern.”

I dutifully retrieved the piece of literature, pressing it into her hands before dropping onto the covers as her side. Mitri smiled kindly, cracking the well-worn binding open to a page indicated with a small bookmark.

We lay like that for a time, reading together, the silence infrequently broken with inane chatter between us. I would ask questions about certain passages, and she would respond as best she could. On her side, she would occasionally share a piece of what she was reading, eliciting gasps of surprise or breaths of laughter on my part. From what I was able to piece together, Mitri was reading a novel that was based around the comedic adventures of a cowardly knight and his courageous slavegirl companion.

Between those moments, I sought vainly for keywords in the slapped-together encyclopedia on Origins—any mention at all of Sylphira, Asciydria Tower, or Sol Cluster. Unfortunately such cases were few and far between, only referencing Sol Cluster as ‘the entity we fought in the war.’

Though at long last, I finally found a small paragraph—a footnote at the end of a fragmented chapter that described each Origin in detail.

_While it’s true that each amplification tower—relay or host server—hosts an Origin as its Tower Administrator, there is one sole exception. That exception is, of course, Asciydria Tower, well-known for its pivotal point in the years leading up to the end of the war and Seven Bloodstains. While the Sol Cluster military did have a highly-classified program that chased our progress in the development of humanlike artificial intelligence, no living Reyvateil-Origin prototypes were ever successfully produced. The program was eventually forcefully terminated in 3034, and its executive staff were sentenced to death or life in prison for their espionage and war crimes._

I hesitantly traced a slender finger across the lettering. _Terminated…_

 _Also, I’ve never heard this term before._ “Hey, Mitri… do you know what Seven Bloodstains is?”

She shrugged, mystified. “Never heard of it.”

“Awww…”

“Hey, kids!” a voice called up from the stairwell. “Dinner’s ready! C’mon down!”

“Yay!” Mitri shot bolt upright, looking oddly suspicious. Her hands were held behind her back, concealing… something. “Before we go down, Sif… I’ve got a present for you.”

“A—a present?”

“Mhm!” With an exaggerated flourish, the older girl drew out a large plush teddy bear. Stepping forward, she slipped the stuffed animal into my confused arms. Its soft and brown fur tickled my chin.

I gave the teddy an odd stare, my lips parted slightly. Candlelight glinted off its coal-black button eyes, a tiny smile stitched onto its furry face. The large toy had clearly seen lots of use and love, small lines of stitches and even a couple patches of beige fabric spaced across its chubby body.

_Cute…_

Then I shook my head quickly, jostling the teddy in my arms. “But… is this really for me…? I can’t take it! It’s yours, and I don’t have anything to give back…”

Mitri softly patted me on the head, pushing several strands of snow-white hair into my eyes. “It’s just a present, Sif. Every little kid needs a teddy, no matter who or what they are! And it’s okay. Cuddles—that’s his name—is only one of my toys… and I _kinda_ outgrew him a long time ago.”

“Oh…” I squeezed the plush animal experimentally, then redoubled my grip. I hugged it tightly, pressing my face into the top of its fuzzy head. “I—I love him, Mitri! He’s so cute, thank you so much…!”

She patted me on the head again. “You’re welcome… little sister Sif.”

“…Please don’t…” I mumbled, my voice muffled behind the bear’s fuzzy ears.

Mitri laughed joyfully, grasping my wrist. “Anyway, let’s go! It’s dinnertime!”

The taller girl hastily dragged me through the motions, leaving my head spinning. But soon enough I was seated at a squat dinner table, flanked on both sides by exotic potted plants, with a well-used wooden plate laid out in front of me. Cuddles, my new teddy bear, sat on the floor beside my chair. Mitri sat at my side, eagerly tapping away at a table leg with her foot. “I can’t wait! I wonder what we’re having…”

“I come bearing answers!” The girl’s mother entered the scene, setting down an enormous steaming pot. “Oh, and food too, I suppose.” She slapped Mitri’s eager hand away. ”Now, now, kiddo. You know the rules—guests first!”

She grumbled, nursing the back of her hand while Evecia scooped a large helping of brown goop onto my plate. Despite the food’s unappealing appearance, it smelled delicious. I timidly slipped a spoonful into my mouth and found myself pleasantly surprised. _Mmmh… it’s really tasty!_

“Aww…” Mitri groaned as if she’d been personally insulted. “We’re having pork and beans _again?”_

Evecia frowned, seating herself. “I could’ve sworn that pork was one of your favorites.”

“Yeah, but not when we have it _three_ days in a row!”

She rolled her eyes. “Your father’s apparently had a long day again, and this has always been his favorite. I thought that it’d be a nice gesture is all.”

Mitri’s eyes lit up. “Is papa coming home soon, then?”

“That’s right. Webb stopped by about ten minutes ago to let me know.” The older woman brought her gaze to bear on me. “What do you think, sweetie? Do you like it?”

“It’s really good!” I bubbled, having already cleared the plate.

She smiled kindly, reaching for the ladle. “Well, have as much as you like. I can always whip up a second batch if we run out.”

“Thank you!”

It wasn’t long before the front door slammed, just as I’d started on my third helping. Mitri, who had been sorrowfully dragging her spoon back and forth, leapt up from the table and shot into the foyer in the blink of an eye. “Papa! Papa, you’re home!”

“Hey there, Mitri,” a gravelly voice rumbled, the unknown figure kicking off his boots. “How was your day? Did you get everything done like I asked?”

She shuffled her feet nervously. “Um… kinda… Listen, I brought someone home!”

The man—whom I assumed was her father—sighed with exasperation. “…I see.”

And so it was in short order that I was introduced to Mitri’s father, a giant of a man whose head almost brushed the ceiling of his home. Though his large stature had greatly intimidated me at first, his easygoing manner and sense of humor quickly won me over. I warmed up to him further at the dinner table, the meal having quickly been replaced with a board game that had the four of us crying out with glee in one moment, and angrily swearing vengeance to the other in the next. Several minutes of cleanup later, Mitri and I were ushered off to bed.

Mitri’s father had ruffled my hair before I turned in. “You’re a good kid, Sif—not really what I was expecting, but a good kid. And thanks for playing with Mitri. She and Ayden have always been together, but… well, let’s just say that he’s not exactly the best influence on her.” His eyes had darkened then, and I could picture his hands tightening around a blunt object of some kind… or perhaps the boy’s neck.

“Thank you, sir!” I said shyly, blushing at the praise.

The man laughed heartily, placing a hand on my shoulder in a surprisingly gentle way. “Sif, please call me Chrisphar… or just Chris. I’m not _nearly_ old enough yet to be called ‘sir.’” He gave a friendly wink, ushering me to bed.

And then, it was time to sleep. The two of us clambered in on opposite sides, digging under the blankets. Chrisphar extinguished the candle lights with a puff, giving Mitri a kiss on the brow and myself another pat on the head before stepping out of the room.

I shifted under the covers, wrapping my arms tightly around my teddy bear. “Um… Mitri?”

“Mmh?” Her voice emanated from the darkness.

I tapped my fingers together nervously. “Thank you… for being nice to me…”

She sidled up to me, giving a light squeeze. “Goodnight, Sif.”

“Goodnight, Mitri…”

**———————————————————**

**_KEYWORD // TERMINATED_ **

**_FILE(S) DETECTED!_ **

**_TRANSFERRING…_ **

**_TRANSFERRING…_ **

**_COMPLETE._ **

**_…_ **

**_AUDIO_PLAYBACK // 17/04/3034_21:59:41_ **

**_LOCATION_INFO // APEX_ASCIYDRIA.map_ **

**_…_ **

_Back in my memories from the past. Bubbling liquid filled my ears… audio sensors… however exactly I was hearing this. Panicked footsteps and frantic whispers filled the space beyond the confines of my sleep pod._

_“They’re coming up!” a panicked man announced. “They’ve already breached the outer dividing wall of Section A! Sir, what do we do?!”_

_“Stay focused!” a voice that conveyed authority barked. “The general said that an evac craft was inbound from the secondary site. So just stay cool, make sure all the data is scrubbed, and then we’ll be out of here before they make it up here.”_

_The second man was silent for a moment. “…But just in case,” he added, “make sure that everyone’s prepared for a worst-case scenario.”_

_“I hear that.” The loud click of well-oiled metal sounded from the first man’s position. It was the sound of a pistol’s cocking mechanism. A multitude of identical sounds followed it from all around the Apex._

_Something heavy and metallic tapped on the exterior of my pod. “What about the prototype, anyway?” a third voice questioned. “Should we terminate it?”_

_The second man released a shaky breath. “I’d hoped to avoid this… but she cannot fall into Sol Ciel’s hands. You’re right.”_

_“After all these years, all these resources…” someone just outside murmured. “It’s a shame that it’s going to all go to waste. How much did this thing cost to produce, anyway?”_

_“...That’s classified. Just get over here and do it before I do something I’ll regret.”_

_Another voice expelled a harsh laugh. “Seriously? You’re gonna ask Layne to do it? Has he even fired a weapon before?”_

_“…Once or twice,” Layne sheepishly admitted._

_The second voice sighed with immense regret. “…Fine. I’ll do it. She’s my creation, anyway. I suppose it’s only right if I’m the one to send her out from this world. Layne, come take over my terminal. Make sure that all the data and schematics get wiped.”_

_“Right.” The two men exchanged positions._

_The second man—whom I realized to be my creator, the closest thing I had to a father—pressed his pistol against the glass, the dull sound echoing through the dense liquid. “I’m sorry, Sylphira. I’m so sorry…”_

_The sound of hissing sparks and muffled voices interrupted his action._

**_WARNING! UNAUTHORIZED PERSON(S) DETECTED ON APEX_ASCIYDRIA.map. SENTINEL_aiCORE SUCCESSFULLY ALERTED. ERROR. NO RESPONSE._ **

_“Shit!” Layne exclaimed. “They’re already outside the hatch! It must be an infiltration team!”_

_My creator drew back. “I… We knew it could happen. There’s nothing for it; destroy the terminals as quickly as you can.” He paused. “It’s been an honor working with you, gentlemen.”_

_“You can surrender if you like. I’m not going down without a fight,” the first voice growled. “Not after what these Sol Ciel bastards did to Syestine. My brother’s family lived there!”_

_“You’re going to get us killed,” my creator said plaintively._

_“We’re already dead anyway!” the first man shot back. “Do you seriously think that they’ll let us live after what we did to create this little pet project? Those guys over at Project REYVATEIL are probably getting off on the thought of all of us strung up for stealing their data. Doubly so when they learn that we beat them to the punch and finished one before they did.”_

_“This isn’t an argument. Drop the gun,” he snarled._

_“Byrne, what the fuck are you doing?!” Layne exclaimed, aghast. “Don’t do it!”_

_A single gunshot rang out, a deafening bang that made the liquid around me tremble. A heavy weight splashed against the surface of my pod, the unknown entity releasing several dying gasps before falling silent forever more._

**_FATALITY DETECTED. IDENTIFIED // DEVIN HADREN, CLEARANCE LEVEL ALPHA._ **

_“Holy shit, Bryne… you shot him!”_

_A sudden explosion accompanied by a screech of twisted metal filled the Apex._

_“ELEMIA SPEC OPS!“ a new voice boomed, muffled behind a thick face shield. “DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND STEP AWAY FROM THE CONSOLES!”_

_“…Can we blink?” Layne queried nervously, his pistol clunking as it hit the floor._

_“YOU IN THE GLASSES,” the soldier thundered. “DROP THE GUN. NOW!”_

_“I’ll… I’ll make you bastards pay!” Byrne snarled._

_More gunshots rang out. Byrne gasped as a dozen bullets drilled into his body, dropping to the floor like a sack of potatoes. All fell silent._

**_FATALITY DETECTED. IDENTIFIED // BRYNE ALBY, CLEARANCE LEVEL BETA._ **

_“Bagged one,” another soldier laughed. “No wounded on our side, sir.”_

_The owner of the loud voice sighed. “Roger that. Reporting one—no, two fatalities to HQ. Units One through Eight, handcuff the rest and get them out of here. Units Nine through Sixteen, secure the terminals and incubators. Check them for explosives first.”_

_“Yes, sir,” the men and women chorused, quickly fanning out across the Apex. Many curse words came from the scientists and researchers as they were bound and hustled from the place where they had once worked._

_Footsteps drew up to my own sleeping space. The unknown figure peeled the corpse of my creator off, likely to get a better view. “What… the… hell…” he breathed, revulsion in his voice. “Unit Nine!”_

_“Sir, what is it?” a woman jogged over, her body armor rattling about._

_“Take a look in there.” He moved off to one side._

_“Ugh!” she exclaimed, disgusted. “They actually built one? Successfully?”_

_“I don’t think so,” the man pointed out. “Take a look at the biometrics. This thing has no brain activity. It’s not alive.”_

_The woman sighed with relief. “Good. It’s horrifying to think about what nasty surprises Sol Cluster might stick into a living machine like this. I can’t even imagine…”_

_“Indeed. Now,” he murmured, “the question is… what are we supposed to do about it? There was nothing remotely involving this in the briefing. The possibility wasn’t even considered.”_

_“Should we terminate it, sir?” she asked eagerly. “I can slap a charge onto the pod and blow this thing back to hell.”_

_“No,” he exclaimed vehemently. “This thing—as monstrous as it may be—is worth far more than what everyone in our unit would make in our lifetimes combined. The top brass would have our heads if we just destroyed it.”_

_The woman was hesitant. “So… what should we do, sir?”_

_“…We might be able to use it.”_

_All sound faded away, leaving the void of unconsciousness free to swallow me up once more._

**_…_ **

**———————————————————**

I awoke gasping for air, every muscle in my body on fire. My stomach felt like it had been turned inside out, dumping acid into my veins.

“No…” I croaked weakly, feeling the rising bile. “Not… not again…!”

I leapt out of Mitri’s bed, blinded by the darkness for a moment. Breaking into a hobble, I made my way towards the bathroom, vainly struggling to keep my dinner held back. I failed on the way down the stairs, scraping my knees as I landed in the fetal position in a puddle of fresh vomit. Tears quickly followed, and soon enough I was weeping freely, shivering. _Why… why does this keep..._

“Sif? Is that you?” A voice whispered from the shadows that clung to the base of the stairwell. It was Evecia, my friend’s mother. “Are you okay?”

I lacked the energy to even reply, remaining motionless on the lacquered wooden floor.

Footsteps quickly approached, the woman’s ghostly nightgown emerging from the darkness accompanied by the dim light of a candle. “Oh, sweetie…” she soothed, kneeling down. “C’mon, I’ll get you to the bathroom.”

“I’m so sorry…” I sobbed. My vision still swam. “I couldn’t make it…”

“It’s okay.” She easily lifted my small frame in her arms. “I had to mop up soon anyway. It’s been getting _filthy_ in here!”

The older woman carried me through the winding passages of the tree home, finally reaching a small chamber—the bathroom. A large bowl recessed in the floor across the room beckoned, and I stumbled over to it, promptly dry-heaving into the basin. Evecia’s hand sympathetically lowered onto my back, rubbing it gently. “There, there. Just get it all out of your system.”

After a few more heaving gasps, my stomach calmed down. The darkening veil that had been descending over my vision fled in an instant. I let out an involuntary gasp of relief, falling slack into Evecia’s waiting arms.

She propped me up against the wall. “Sweetie, I’m gonna head down to the kitchen and get you a small cup of ginger ale. Do you think you can hang on for a few minutes while I crack open the cask?”

“I woke everyone up… I’m sorry…”

Evecia patted my head affectionately. “You didn’t wake up anyone. I was tending to the nocturnal plants, and Mitri inherited Chris’s ‘heavy sleeper’ tendencies. I’d bet anything that the two of them didn’t even _stir.”_

“Okay…” I sniffed. “I’ll hang on… thank you…”

It only felt like moments had gone by when the older woman returned with a mug in one hand and a woolen blanket in the other. She gently pushed the drink into my waiting hands, accompanied by a warm smile. “How’re you feeling?”

I wiped a couple tears from my eyes, peering into the depths of the cup. “I feel… better.”

“That’s good.” Evecia lowered onto the floor at my side, sharing the blanket while I sipped at the drink. It was cool and soothing, with a hint of fizz. I could feel heat returning to my extremities, the shaking quelled.

“Have you been having these before, sweetie? These… ‘fits?’” the woman questioned. “I’ve been a herbalist for many years, and I’ve seen more ailments than most. I can spot the flu, food poisoning, and a whole list of other illnesses, but I’ve never seen anyone get sick like that and just go numb… limp...”

“Since I woke up on top of the tower…”

“I see.” She squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. “I can’t claim to know what it might be. While I’ve treated my fair share of maladies, I’m not the village’s best healer… and I doubt that he’d know what was wrong, either. Your… _kind…_ hasn’t been seen for centuries, after all. It might be best to ask your AI friend.”

“She’s not my friend,” I grumbled, taking another sip.

“Maybe not, sweetie. But you’re gonna have to deal with her at _some point,_ right?” the woman countered, sidling up until the side of my head was pressed against her bosom. “Just know that the people of Mist’s Reach are on your side. And whatever happens, you’ll always have a place to come home to.”

“Thank… you…” _That means a lot more to me than she thinks._

“You’re welcome.” With the sound of shifting fabric, she stood up, extending her surprisingly smooth palm towards me. “Ready to go back to bed? Don’t forget to change into a clean nightgown first. I’ll help you wash it tomorrow.”

I nodded shyly, slipping my smaller hand into hers. “Okay…” _I know she’s only someone I’ve just met… and I’m only a stranger to her, but… she’s so very nice to me. And sure, she’s definitely not my mommy. I don’t know her very well. It’d be crazy to think of her like that after only a day, right…?_

_But… but maybe someday, I can._

**———————————————————**

And so, life for the next few days went on peacefully. Sentinel remained distant, leaving me to my own devices without any interruptions. Perhaps it was her willingly paying penance for her nasty prank… or more likely, she simply had no need of me yet. Either way was fine with me.

I stayed with Mitri and her family, seldom leaving their company save for the nights I spent at Cael’s home. Cuddles, the teddy bear that Mitri had given me, kept me company during my nights alone in the tiny guest room. It made me feel at ease, as if a small part of her family was always with me.

I felt like I had a place to call my own here, a place where my alleged ‘deity’ status didn’t matter. I wasn’t a figure of worship, I was just a normal kid. And… it made me happy. Indeed, even the frequency of my attacks seemed to lessen, the periods between growing longer and longer. It felt like they were finally leaving me be, stability beginning to flourish in my mindscape at last.

I no longer wanted to leave. With my new friends in Mist’s Reach, I could live quietly, contently, and in peace. And in short order, Sentinel’s vague warning of the world’s end had slipped from my thoughts like grains of sand between my fingers.

But, like all good things, the peace wouldn’t last.

**———————————————————**

**> WAKEY WAKEY, ADMINISTRATOR!<** a voice screamed into my ear.

With a shriek of surprise, I shot bolt upright in bed at a speed normally reserved for things like stellar phenomena and bolts of lightning. In milliseconds, my mind had sharpened to full wakefulness. I shook the sleep dust from my eyes while frantically searching for the source of the outburst.

Sentinel’s small form hovered above me, a playful grin locked on her pudgy face. She clutched an oversized megaphone, the shimmering holographic device aimed straight at my head. A tiny arachnid tower guardian clung to the bedpost, the source of the AI’s projected form.

I gave the AI a dirty look, huffing with annoyance. Extending my arm upwards, I reached for the tiny machine. My index finger slid in front of the tiny lens of the drone’s projector system, cutting off her hologram.

 **> I WILL NOT BE SILEEEENCED!<** Sentinel screeched defiantly as she flickered and faded into oblivion. The tower guardian scurried away, slipping out under the door.

I slipped from the covers, grumbling. _What does she want now? It’s been days…_

A loud yawn escaped my lips. I’d had another attack during the night, robbing me of much of my sleep. Even though the attacks were lessening, it still hadn’t been much fun. Giving my teddy bear one great big wake-up hug, I slipped out of bed. Padding barefoot across the dimly-lit guest room, I retrieved a set of clothes; my old white summer dress paired with simple sandals. Now dressed and ready to go, I crept from the chief’s house and off into the village.

_I bet she wants to meet up at the same place._

It was still early; the sun hadn’t even risen yet, the sky only just beginning to brighten. Only a few villagers were up and about, most of them lumberjacks or hunters off to earn their keep. I smiled as I walked, enjoying the cool air that kissed my bare shoulders.

Suddenly, searing pain—razor-sharp, white-hot steel in my leg. I fell down onto one knee with a cry of agony and shock at the sudden sensation. It felt like I had been _stabbed._

I rubbed at the affected site with silent confusion. There was no visible trauma, no tenderness or solid mass. The pain didn’t even seem to have a real _source,_ aside from existing somewhere inside my leg.

 _I hope it’s not because I pulled a muscle or something…_ Getting to my feet, I continued along as best I could—now walking with a slight limp. The pain still persisted, though the intensity had dulled somewhat… but it was now accompanied by the faint prickling sensation of pins and needles.

 **_> SENTINEL?<_ ** I groused, **_> WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW?<_ ** Thanks to the rude awakening and the pain that now plagued me, I’d been put in a foul mood… and I wasn’t ready to forgive the AI for the nasty little prank she’d pulled on me in the Alto.

 **_> Finally,<_ ** she huffed in response. **_> I’ve been nice and let you have your fun with your little friends for the past few days. Now we seriously need to get to work.<_ ** The distant rumble of engines—the hallmark of an incoming aircraft—accompanied her words.

**_> WHY SHOULD I?<_ **

**_> …Because otherwise we’ll all die? Isn’t it obvious?<_ ** she responded blankly.

I remained silent, reaching the edge of the gorge that ran through the center of the village. The sky had begun to light up with streaks of dusty gold and fiery orange, the sun slowly rising—though it would be hours before its life-giving rays would kiss Mist’s Reach, the village hidden behind the tower’s enormous bulk.

 **_> …Wait. You’re limping. Are you… are you in pain?<_ ** she queried in a worried tone.

I rubbed at the affected site, reminded of it. **_> SO WHat if I am?<_ **

In an instant, a small tower guardian was at my side, having dropped from the clouds above. The AI’s holographic body leapt out, grabbing at my arm with complete disregard for personal boundaries. _“Where?_ Where does it hurt? What does it feel like?!”

“Leg… I think,” I snapped, shaking her off. “Just feels like pins and needles now… so what?” Sentinel’s panicked state was a little worrisome; I’d never seen her like this before.

Her gray eyes locked onto mine. “That’s a symptom… of phantom limb pain. That means two things simultaneously. One… it means that your tower connection is finally starting to manifest.”

_She wore a grave expression. “Two… it means that something is _very, very wrong_ with the tower.”  
_


	5. Plasma Bell

“Wha…” I stared blankly at the AI as if she’d spontaneously grown two heads. “What do you mean, something’s wrong with the tower…?”

A distant metallic screech from the tower’s direction shattered the calm of the morning, making me flinch involuntarily. It was the sound of structural supports tearing apart. The ground beneath my feet trembled slightly, as if terrified of what was coming.

“I mean _that,”_ Sentinel said gravely. “I’m bringing in a **n Alto, NOW! <** Her hologram vanished.

“Wait,” I sputtered helplessly, staring up at the brightening sky. “What… what’s happening? What should I do?!”

 **_> Find out where the damage is,<_ ** Sentinel hissed angrily from inside my mindscape. **_> There’s no time to lose!<_ **

**_> But… but how?!<_ ** My own voice now effortlessly projected through the void, no longer fractured by the white noise that permeated our connection.

The distant and familiar scream of engines drew closer, a tiny white dot in the sky growing in size. While the aircraft approached, Sentinel hurriedly explained in a panicked tone. **_> If you’re feeling phantom pains, that means that your consciousness is finally starting to accept the bond you share with Asciydria Tower. The reason that damage to the structure manifests as physical pain is because your mind needs a period of time to adapt to the signals from its new physical form— one that encompasses both you and the spire.<_ **

The sky seemed to darken with wispy clouds as ten thousand machines—Sentinel’s _real_ body—took flight, swarming across the tower like locusts. The AI was in full panic mode, inspecting every inch of the structure that she was physically able to in as little time as possible.

 **_> The fact that you’re feeling it in the first place means that part of the tower is badly damaged, enough to cause excruciating pain.<_ ** she continued with an air of urgency. **_> It might be something simple, like the stabilization fins falling out of alignment… or it might be something critical, like the symphonic reactor about to go off!<_ **

The AI’s aircraft suddenly dropped from the sky, flopping down in the street with a deafening crunch. I shrieked, stumbling back amidst the spray of gravel. She hadn’t even bothered to deploy the landing gear, leaving the craft’s belly scraped and dented.

 **> ADMINISTRATOR, GET IN!<** Sentinel’s voice barked from an external speaker mounted on the hull of the graceful aircraft. The cockpit hatch clicked open, and a ladder thrust out towards me like a rapier. “There’s no time!”

I scrambled into the cockpit without complaint, understanding the gravitas of the situation. “Um… what do you want me to do?!”

My stomach fell to my toes as the Alto crested, rising hundreds of meters in seconds. “Find the damage! You _have_ to. This structure is far too large for me to scan the entire thing in a timely fashion—not with my reduced drone count.”

“But…” I protested weakly, buckling up as an afterthought, “how do I do that?!”

“Your leg! Focus on the pain. Concentrate on its epicenter, determine what kind of complication it is, and follow it back to the source on the tower.” A tone of urgency entered her voice. _“Hurry!_ I’m detecting a minor list in the tower’s orientation!”

“O—okay! I’ll do my best!” I hunched over in the pilot’s seat, wrapping both hands around my shin. Closing my eyes and mentally blotting out all sound, I sought to analyze the pain.

_It’s… it’s deep. I’ve felt this before… when I had that branch through my neck. It’s… a puncture wound! No, multiple puncture wounds. Gigantic holes… in my leg… in the tower’s leg…_

A dark, foreboding sensation passed through me. A heavy vault door seemed to crack open at the core my mind, just a sliver… enough to let me peer through the gap and catch the barest glimpse of what, given time, I would eventually become.

My eyes snapped open, pupils dilated. “Tower Section C, plasma bell,” I breathed, speaking mechanically. “Multiple perforations detected in the northwest shoulder. Integrity of resonance field critically compromised, power flow to lift generators fourteen through twenty-five impaired. Requires immediate repair. Tasking tower guard—… tasking… tower guardi—…” I slumped over in my seat, the flow of power slipping from my grasp.

That was all the AI needed. “The _plasma bell?!_ Oh… oh _no.”_

I quickly recovered from my ordeal, perking up. “The plasma bell…? What is it?”

The intercom crackled. “It’s such a critical component that even if the tower were to shut down, the bell would remain active. Without the levitation it generates, and without its structural support, the Isles of Aria will fall from the sky and the _entire tower_ will collapse!”

A sudden flash of realization. _The Isles of Aria… Mist’s Reach and everyone that lives there. Mitri… Evecia… Serafi…_ It hit me; in the next few minutes, everyone that I had come to deeply care about could _die._

 _“What?!”_ I shrieked, aghast. “We have to fix it, NOW! Where is it?!”

The light of the dawn shifted as the Alto came about, nosing down towards the enormous bowl-shaped structure near the base of the tower, hovering just over the dense sea of clouds. “It’s down there, but it’s difficult to get to! The only way to access it is to come up from beneath… but it’s pinned against the clouds, and its outer surface continuously surges with a powerful electrical current hot enough to melt _lead.”_

“We have to try!” I shot back, plastered against the cockpit glass. My eyes were locked on the all-too-fragile cluster of landmasses that encircled the lower section of the spire.

“Already on it. Plasma bell, dead ahead!” The aircraft’s engines silenced as it nosed down into a shallow  dive, accelerating towards the layer of clouds and the blackened bell that shimmered above it like a mirage. Its lip dipped below the mist, hiding what lay within. Tower guardians circled around it, making the structure resemble an enormous beehive.

“W—wait, what are you stopping for?! It’s right there!” I exclaimed hysterically, fingernails digging into the pilot’s seat.

“The Sea!” Sentinel growled, “It’s higher than usual today. We’re going to have to blast our way in, and then I’ll have to fix _that,_ too.”

“How do the clouds have anything to do with this?! Just _go,_ what are you waiting for?!”

 **> WE CAN’T!<** the AI snapped angrily, slipping into her synthesized voice. **> WE’LL BOTH ** **_DIE!_ ** **THE CLOUDS ARE** **_POISONOUS_ ** **AND** **_CORROSIVE!_ ** **MY DRONES CAN’T EVEN SURVIVE IN THEM, DO YOU SERIOUSLY THINK THAT** **_YOU’LL_ ** **FARE ANY BETTER? <**

“Why the heck am I just learning this _now?!”_ I retorted. “Um… can we go in through the breaches? Maybe they’re big enough to fly through!”

She froze. “…That could work. Give me an exact location and I’ll see what I can do. My sensors aren’t much use down here; the bell generates enormous quantities of magnetic interference.”

“Okay, okay, give me a second!” I pressed a hand against my forehead, retreating behind a veil of concentration.

“Administrator… please hurry. Look at the tower…” Fear had filled Sentinel’s voice.

I peered up through the windshield… and my blood ran cold.

Asciydria Tower had begun to list. An unearthly moan reverberated through the air as tremors ran throughout the structure, plating and girders loudly voicing their distress as they began to tear apart at the seams. Hundreds of emergency rockets on the spire’s superstructure automatically fired as one with a sharp _bang,_ valiantly trying—and failing—to keep the spire upright. The outer reaches of the Isles of Aria had begun to sag, the masses of rock inexorably slipping closer towards the sea of toxic clouds.

“The tower is beginning to collapse.”

 _“What?!_ No! No!” I redoubled my effort, my racing heart making it excruciatingly difficult to concentrate. A deep shadow fell over the cabin as the listing tower slid in front of the rising sun, blotting out all light. It was difficult… but every time I felt hope desert me, I pictured what Mitri must be feeling right now, her home plunging into the abyss.

_Plasma bell… shoulder… northwest quadrant… level C-241. There!_

“Up there!” I exclaimed, directing the swarm of tower guardians with my pointing finger. Sentinel obliged; the Alto exploded upwards in a sudden burst of speed, cresting the bell. A torrent comprised of hundreds of tower guardians flashed past the windscreen, converging on the location that I’d pointed to.

Intense heat began to radiate in through the windshield, a testament to the boiling temperatures located in the vicinity of the plasma bell. The air ahead shimmered, hiding what lay before us.

We reached the damaged site. My breath seized in my throat. “Oh no…” Sentinel whispered.

The curved metallic surface of the plasma bell looked like a sieve, ravaged with countless gaping holes. The smallest ones were at least forty meters across and the largest at over one hundred. The edges of each wound seemed waxy and melted, as if they had been carved out by a giant cutting torch. A web of hairline cracks surrounded each one, the tiny fissures reaching off into the distance in every direction.

“Administrator!” Sentinel cried. “The bell will _implode_ if we don’t fix this immediately! If it collapses in on itself, then there’ll be no stopping this!”

“How…” I breathed, feeling helpless. “How do we…”

The largest wound suddenly swelled in size as the Alto accelerated. The cabin shook violently, stray arcs of electricity scarring the aircraft’s hull with blackened burn marks. We entered the plasma bell.

The interior of the bowl-shaped component was dark and murky, only illuminated thanks to weak shafts of light that flooded in through the gaping holes above. A column hundreds of meters wide plunged through the center of the empty space, a web of catwalks radiating out from it in every direction. The inner surface of the bell’s outer wall bristled with cable bundles and lines upon lines of pipes, all leading down to the shadowy bulk of gigantic pieces of machinery that clustered around the bell’s opening, several kilometers below. Through that distant hole, I could barely make out the swirling clouds that had previously prevented our entrance.

The AI’s voice came in almost inaudibly, as if she were speaking only to herself. “Large-scale fabrication facilities are… offline! I don’t know how to… I don’t have the means, nor the—” She cut off mid-sentence, falling silent.

“Unless…” she mumbled, “maybe I can… like an arc welder? Will it be enough to restore structural integrity…? There’s no time for calculations. I _have_ to try.”

A horrible metallic screech echoed through the cabin as the aircraft grinded against a catwalk, the thin metal buckling. The cockpit hatch popped open, and the stench of ozone flooded the enclosed space. **> ADMINISTRATOR!<** Sentinel yelled. **> HERE, GET OUT! I NEED TO USE THIS UNIT, AND YOU ** **_CAN’T_ ** **BE IN HERE WHEN I DO! <**

I tentatively craned my neck out. The ladder had extended, reaching out to the mangled catwalk. However, in doing so, it stretched over the empty void. If I were to slip—and with all the vibrations, it would be all too easy for that to happen—there would be nothing to catch me.

My breathing accelerated.

 **> ADMINISTRATOR, PLEASE!<** Sentinel begged. **> GET OUT, ** **_NOW!_ ** **I NEED IT! <**

I couldn’t seem to make my body move.

**> ADMINISTRATOR?!<**

“I… I…” I stammered, “I can’t! I’m scared!” I involuntarily hunched over in my seat, clutching my chest. My heart pumped frantically, the pounding noise drowning out all other sounds. “I can’t do it, I’m _sorry!”_

The AI hissed with frustration, shutting down the intercom. **> FINE.<**

The curved interior of the bell suddenly ignited with a cacophony of rapidfire metallic impacts. Sparks and molten globs of metal splashed across the Alto’s windshield, dazzling me. I lifted my trembling head, both startled and horrified by the source.

A swarm composed of hundreds—no, _thousands—_ of tower guardians, moving like an enormous school of fish, flew straight into their deaths. An endless stream of the machines impacted into the edges of each vast puncture wound, every single drone instantly reduced to liquid metal upon making contact with the metallic surface of the bell and the powerful electrical current that ran through it. A rain of sparks and molten metal tumbled from the multitude of impact sites.

I couldn’t look away. This was Sentinel, destroying parts of her _own body—_ and for what?

At last I understood. Adding the metal in their bodies was actually _filling in the holes,_ slowly but surely. It wouldn’t be enough to fully repair the tower component, but it just might be enough to stabilize the plasma bell’s structural integrity… for the moment, at least.

A muffled bang rippled through the cockpit. More light poured in as new gaping cracks opened up, much of Sentinel’s ad hoc welding job sloughing off in the process. Even so, she never gave up, tower guardian after tower guardian dissolving into liquid steel in a failing attempt to save the tower.

“It can’t… it can’t be stopped…” I gasped, the AI persisting even as I lost hope. It was then that I heard the distant, grating sound of cracking rocks from below the clouds—the sound of islands shattering upon impact with Ar Ciel’s surface, having slipped from the sky. A horrible groan echoed from far above, and the cockpit began to noticeably tilt as the spire began to topple.

 _You can do it,_ a voice whispered in my head. _You can._

“I… I can’t!”

 _You’re strong… stronger than you know. You have the knowledge to fix this. You can save Asciydria Tower. You_ are _Asciydria Tower._

“I can’t do it!” I whimpered pitifully, wrapping my arms tighter around my body. “I don’t know anything! I’m just a kid! I can’t do it!”

 _You can,_ the voice murmured again. My own voice, emanating from that door in my mindscape that had given me a snapshot of what I could become. _It lies in the depths of your mind… right here._ That ethereal doorway swung open, harsh and burning light radiating through. Using my mind’s eye, I squinted through the glare… and saw it.

I released a shaky breath, my eyes widening. “I… I can feel it. But… I don’t know if it will…”

_You have to try._

I nodded, balling my fists. The rumbling increased in volume.

Resolve filling my heart, I scrambled from the cockpit. I deftly made my way across the vibrating ladder, my grip never weakening and my feet never slipping. Swinging my legs down, I dropped onto the catwalk that ran the circumference of the plasma bell.

I stumbled and almost lost my footing then and there, scrambling for purchase as the slanted floor grew steeper. Sparks and fire rained down all around me. My fingers tightly locked around the safety railing, I slowly clambered my way up towards the curved metal wall that led up to the puncture wounds.

 **> ADMINISTRATOR?! WHAT ARE YOU ****_DOING? <_** Sentinel’s tortured voice burst out from her rapidly diminishing army of drones, even as they destroyed themselves. Her attempt to patch the breach was failing, yet she never faltered.

_I’m sorry, Sentinel. I should’ve taken action sooner._

I closed my eyes, breathing slowly. Reaching out with tiny hands, I gently placed both palms against the smooth metal of the plasma bell.

I felt the tower in its entirety. I felt hundreds of kilometers of power lines, running through the structure like veins. I felt the frantic beat of its heart, the symphonic reactor screaming as it fed more fuel to the emergency thrusters and gyroscopes. I felt the panicked gasp of its lungs, the Orgel and mistral artifice as they struggled to output more power to save themselves. Pure terror coursed through Asciydria’s electronic brain as it surged with error codes. In that moment, it almost felt like Asciydria was _alive._

_It’ll be okay._

At the edges of my mind, I reached out for the scattered fragments of a long-lost memory. Wrapping an ethereal hand around the fractal shards, I drew them close.

Breathing in deeply one last time, I opened my mouth… and began to sing.

**_EXEC_IN=FINITY/._ **

**———————————————————**

**_…_ **

_Back here again. In my incubator, away from the trials and tribulations that had assailed me what had felt like mere moments ago. Time felt irrelevant here, pulling me freely from century to century with no seeable endgame._

_Something lightly brushed against the glass surface of my pod. “…Hi there, Sylphira.”_

_“…”_

_“My name is Devin.” the man continued awkwardly. From a past memory—or future memory?—I knew who he was, and that he was destined to die. “I’m your creator… but you can call me ‘dad,’ I guess.”_

_“C’mon, Devin.” a new voice added. I recognized it. “Knock it off. That’s a little creepy.”_

_My creator turned away. “That’s no way to talk to your supervisor, is it, Layne?”_

_The second man sighed wearily. “…Okay, SIR. Isn’t acting like that a little strange, though? It’s just a machine.”_

_“Not at all.” he said congenially. “When she wakes, she’ll need at least one person to act as a parental figure. She’s just a child, after all. Her artificial nature doesn’t render that null and void.”_

_“If you say so,” the other man groaned. “But I doubt the rest of the team will agree… and you saw the specs of those implants before they went in, just like the rest of us did. You know that the subject won’t exactly act like a… uh, human… if it ever wakes up.”_

_Regret tinged my creator’s voice. “…I vetoed the move to install those. I did what I could to stop it, and failed. How could anyone take something as innocent as a child and want to convert it for something as barbaric as war?”_

_Layne laughed incredulously. “You know who’s handing out your paycheck, right? What did you expect? It comes with the territory.”_

_“Even so…” The voice faded away into the distance as the memory slipped away, returning me to the silent tranquility of the void._

**_…_ **

**———————————————————**

“—phira?! Sylphira!”

I moaned in pain, roused from my deep slumber. My head throbbed and my extremities felt numb; it felt like the tail end of another attack. With effort, I lifted my heavy eyelids.

 _She_ was there, gripping the front of my dress. She frantically shook me, unable to do much with her tiny form. “Oh no, oh no… _Sylphira!”_

“Mommy…?” I mumbled deliriously.

The AI gasped. “Oh, administrator! Er… you’re awake!” She sprang back, releasing her grip on my clothing. The small figure averted her eyes. “I was… um, worried.”

“Right…” Flexing about, I found myself lying on my back on a cold, metallic surface. Darkness lay in every direction, save for a cone of light that was centered on my inert body. Staring straight upward, I spotted the source of the light; the Alto hung suspended above my head, wedged at an extreme angle amidst a tangle of cables and bunches of twisted girders. A spotlight mounted on its nose was fixed on my position, and doubtlessly hosted Sentinel’s hologram, too.

I shook my head, getting a handle of my faculties. _Right… there was all that stuff in the plasma bell, and… and I sang?_ With effort, I pushed myself into a sitting position. Every bone in my body ached, and my muscles felt stiff.

“What happened…?” I asked, in a daze.

Sentinel’s smoky gray eyes mirrored my confusion. “I was about to ask you the same thing, administrator.”

“What… what do you mean?”

The AI shrugged, shaking her head. “I don’t know how, or why… but somehow you used song magic, and not just _any_ song magic. You used Infinity!”

“In… finity…?” The name sounded vaguely familiar.

“Yeah!” she chirped. “It’s one of the tower’s special Extract songs! An Extract is a specific command that’s meant to directly interface with Asciydria’s systems and change it in a big way. And somehow, you _used_ it. You passed out in the middle of it, sure, but it did its job… for now, at least.”

Sentinel directed an arm upwards, and the Alto’s spotlight swiveled in kind. “Take a look up there.”

Grimacing, I got to my feet and backed away to get a better view, taking care to watch my footing lest I fall into the waiting abyss. Craning my neck, I squinted into the darkness above, searching for the circle of light cast by the downed aircraft.

The spotlight was directed on a large stretch of steel that was strangely free of the cables and pipes that ran across every millimeter of the plasma bell’s inner surface. The metallic surface was rough, pitted, and seemed to be ever-so-slightly discolored with splotches of brown and yellow.

I frowned. “Wait… isn’t that…” _That’s where one of the big holes used to be! It’s… gone!_

Sentinel smiled faintly, her own hologram radiating a faint luminosity. “Yep, that’s right. That’s one of the damage sites, and now it’s gone… thanks to you.”

I was awed. “I… did that?”

The AI grinned. “You did. My land-based tower guardians outside the bell have confirmed that Asciydria Tower is stable again. The plasma bell was… uh, more or less repaired, and the spire’s emergency thrusters did the rest. It was a near thing; if it had listed another two degrees, the whole tower would have toppled over no matter what we tried. It’s a good thing you acted when you did.”

Her face took on a more serious look. “However… we did lose approximately thirty percent of the Isles of Aria’s landmass.” She slumped. “That’s… not good news. That represents a _catastrophic_ loss of plant and animal life, and unmined resources too!”

 _The… Isles of Aria…?_ Panic ripped through my mind. “Sentinel!” I exclaimed. “What… what about Mist’s Reach? Are they okay?”

She nodded. “Yes. One of the islands directly east of the village fell from the sky, but the actual landmass that holds Mist’s Reach is safe. They survived, though they likely had a bit of a rough time with all the tremors.”

I sighed with relief, deflating. “Thank goodness… Can I see them?”

“No.” Sentinel shook her head wearily. “Now that the breaches are sealed, we can no longer exit the bell. We’ll have to wait until the Sea loses altitude. However, it shouldn’t take more than a few hours for that to happen; the clouds rise and fall all the time. After which point, we’ll be able to leave.”

“So we just… wait here and do nothing,” I surmised.

“Don’t get comfortable yet,” the AI warned. “I was just getting to my main point; because of the fact that Infinity was cut off early, not only did it only repair a small portion of the tower, it did it in an incomplete fashion. By my guess, this repair will give us a few months, _at best._ Then the bell will crack open once more, and we’ll get to do this all over again.”

I flinched. “But… that’s not a problem, is it? Doing this again, I mean…”

The AI drew closer. “By the look of things, it’s not sustainable.” She rose to meet my face, reaching out to tap on my forehead. “You sang your song… but it got cut off partway. Do you remember what happened?”

I shook my head. “Everything just… went dark…”

Sentinel gained a grave look. “Wherever in your mind you found that command… try reaching for it again. I’d like to confirm a hypothesis.”

“Um… okay?” I ventured forth into the depths of my mind, searching for that door. Upon finding it, I once again peered into its swirling depths.

**_ERROR. FILE(S) CORRUPTED._ **

_What…?_ I redoubled my focus, only to get the same result. _It’s not…_

“It’s not working, is it?” the AI queried, throwing off my concentration.

I shook my head, confounded. “No… it’s giving me a weird error message… that the files are corrupted?”

She nodded bleakly. “Just as I suspected. You had another attack while you were channeling Infinity, and that disruption corrupted the command that’s installed on your SH Server—where your soul is hosted. That means that you won’t be able to use Infinity until you get a fresh copy of it elsewhere. That may be…” the AI flinched, “…problematic.

“As to the cause of your attacks… originally I’d suspected that the connection that tethers your physical body and your soul in the SH server was faulty, leaving you with periods of blackouts. But,” she tapped her lip, thinking, “if it’s going so far as to corrupt data stored directly in your SH server, then that means that something is wrong on _that_ end—something with your soul.”

I placed a hand on my breast. “My… my soul?”

“Yes. If these blackouts are a direct result of that, then it means that for some reason, your soul is fragmented and unstable—becoming ‘unglued’ for short periods of time.”

 _That… that sounds really bad!_ “Am I gonna die…?”

The AI shook her head, reassuringly patting me on the shoulder. “Not likely. Honestly, it sounds worse than it is. In all probability, you’ll remain at your current level unless something significant changes. If that happens, _then_ you’ll have cause to be worried.

“The problem that lies therein, however, is that until said problem is either fixed or reduced, it’ll likely prevent you from singing Infinity—just like what happened earlier. Persisting could very well push the limits of what your soul is capable of handling… and if we’re not careful, you just might end up back in your pod as a vegetable again.”

**———————————————————**

I’d taken off after the conversation, wanting some alone time to reflect on my… situation. A small penlight was locked in my grip, and a small yet heavy bag jostled against my thigh. It had come from beneath the pilot’s seat in the Alto; Sentinel had insisted that I take it before wandering around freely.

“Take it with you,” she’d warned me before I departed. “It’s got a flashlight, emergency flares, food and water rations, and a tool to defend yourself in case… something happens. Remember this; we still don’t know why the plasma bell accrued such severe damage within _days_ of my inspection.” That last line had sent a chill down my spine.

 _I wonder what she meant by ‘tool,’ though?_ Curious, I cracked the bag open and rummaged through its contents, leaning up against the curved inner wall of the plasma bell to do so. I blanched under the dim glow of my penlight, fishing out a small handgun. _Nope. Nope. Nope._ I hurriedly shoved it back inside, pretending it wasn’t there. _Why does she even have this hidden in there? This pack is clearly kept stocked. It’s not like she can actually use it, though… It’s made for humans._

I shuffled nervously. _Kinda spooky in here…_ The air in this part of the plasma bell was icy and heavy, somewhat unpleasant to breathe in. The faint whistle of wind from the outside and the grinding over machinery made me jump at every turn. Milky white tendrils of mist drifted back and forth before the weak beam of my flashlight. Casting my gaze back, I could barely make out the Alto’s sole flickering spotlight several hundred meters back along the catwalk.

_It feels good to stretch my legs… but maybe this was a mistake?_

A dull thump—an unnatural sound—affirmed my doubts.

I frantically whipped around. “Who—who’s there?!”

Nothing but obscuring curtains of mist met my gaze.

I folded both arms across my chest. “S—Sentinel, it’s not funny anymore! C’mon out!”

A leathery rasping noise came from the darkness, the sound of something being dragged. I felt hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “Sentinel?!”

Silence.

 **_> Sentinel!<_ ** I called out angrily, casting my voice out into the ether. **_> Stop messing with me!<_ **

**_> Administrator?<_ ** the AI’s voice returned, shot with curiosity. **_> What do you mean?<_ **

**_> Don’t play dumb…! You’re trying to scare me again!<_ **

She released a heavy sigh. **_> Administrator, I’m nowhere near you. And it shouldn’t be any surprise that you’re hearing things; you’re standing right next to one of the major power conduits that feeds power to the lift generators at the base of the plasma bell. Of course you’re gonna hear weird noises. It’s just machinery.<_ **

**_> But…<_ ** I spun around again, hearing a low hiss that almost sounded as if it had come from a living thing. **_> It—it doesn’t sound like a…<_ **

The AI sighed again. **_> Tell you what, I’ll humor you; performing a scan of your location with the Alto’s thermal imaging software. All I’m gonna find are power lines and magnetic field shapers, just watch.<_ **

**_> O—okay…<_ ** I whimpered, pressing my back against the wall. The mist seemed to encroach on my position, growing more suffocating by the second.

Suddenly, footsteps—bare feet heavily clanging on the metal grating. The haze before me seemed to part, revealing… _something_ for the barest of seconds.

 _"Gettra titilia bister yor,"_ the phantasmal specter hissed in a low voice, fading away into nothingness. The empty spot in the air it had occupied vanished, revealing nothing but an unbroken wall of mist once again.

I gasped, clasping both hands over my mouth to silence the scream. _What… what was that?!_

 **_> Administrator!<_ ** Sentinel cried with urgency. **_> I just picked up an unknown and erratic heat signature above your location! It could only have come from something that’s alive, get out of there NOW!<_ **

Something overhead released a twisted and ravenous screech.

In an instant I found myself sprinting down the catwalk, my fight-or-flight instincts clearly having their priorities in order. I raggedly grasped at my chest while I ran, struggling for breath as the entity that pursued me screamed like a banshee.

I risked a glimpse back, and wished I hadn’t. Mottled green and brown flesh met my terrified eyes, the mutilated creature propelled through the air by jets of noxious gas. The overpowering, musky scent of rotting plant matter filled my nostrils, making me gag.

**_> Use the gun, administrator! Its magazine holds sixteen rounds, just aim and fire!<_ **

“I…” I panted, my lungs on fire. Wind rushed in my ears. “I don’t…”

**_> Administrator, DO IT! My weapons systems are online, but the Alto needs longer for the jet turbines to spin up! You need to buy me more time!<_ **

**_> I… I…<_ ** The bag containing the firearm jostled at my side. **_> Okay!<_ ** My hand snaked in through an opening in the top, fingers locking around the gun’s polished metal snout.

I’d never fired a gun before—and aside from the tiny snippet of audio from my dream, I didn’t know what firing one felt like, either. I wasn’t sure how to aim it properly or even how to hold it.

 **_> You don’t need to kill it,<_ ** the AI said uneasily, barely keeping her cool. **_> Just delay it! I only need ten more seconds!<_ **

I brought the snub-nosed weapon to bear with both hands, a trembling finger wrapped around the trigger. Even when directly facing the monstrosity, I still stumbled backwards towards the weakly flickering light that acted as the waypoint for Sentinel’s aircraft. The entity darted back and forth in the shadows, hiding its true form in the obscuring darkness. It chittered hungrily, perhaps uncertain what to do in light of my new, defiant stance.

_Please…_

I squeezed the trigger.

…

Nothing happened.

 _What?!_ I frantically squeezed it again and again. Aside from a rapid clicking noise, the gun was completely unresponsive. It wouldn’t fire. _Why?!_

With a heavy _clunk,_ two powerful spotlight arrays came to life, blazing a path through the darkness as they locked onto the monstrous entity that pursued me. Dazzled, I spun to face the light source. The Alto hovered in the still air like a mirage, burning with radiant light. The enormous barrel mounted on the aircraft’s chin spun up with a high-pitched whirr.

 **_> Target locked,<_ ** Sentinel growled. **_> Firing.<_ **

I instinctively hurled myself to the floor, grazing my shoulders on the rough metal grating while I covered my head.

A deafening roar thundered through the interior of the plasma bell as Sentinel’s aircraft spat a torrent of slugs towards the entity at a rate exceeding fifty rounds per second. She raked the stream of fire across the area with cold and machinelike precision, sowing devastation as far as the eye could see. My pursuer screeched with anger a millisecond before it was utterly erased from existence, reduced to a spray of green fluid in the blink of an eye. And then it was gone, its liquified remains plunging into the swirling clouds that waited below.

My companion sighed with relief, her weapon spinning down before finally falling silent. **_> …Target eliminated. No further threats detected.<_ ** With a muted rumble, the Alto shed altitude, drawing up to the catwalk once more. **_> Administrator? Are you in one piece?<_ **

In a daze, I stumbled to my feet. My head felt like it had been beaten by a mallet, ringing incessantly. Dozens of spent shell casings—many of which still smoldered—lay at my feet.

 **_> What fun!<_ ** the AI murmured to herself, humming. **_> It’s been exactly three hundred and fifty years since I last got to fire one of these things.<_ **

I hurried over to the waiting aircraft, woozily swaying back and forth. Reaching the polished white hull, I pounded desperately on the side of the bulbous glass cockpit. “Sentinel…?! Sentinel, let me in, _please!”_

Her tiny head peeked out over the lip, nodding. An instant later the canopy sprung open, and I practically tumbled face first into the enclosed cabin. Flailing about on the rubbery floor, I scrambled down into the elongated compartment that ran deeper into the Alto’s fuselage, pressing myself into the furthest corner I could find.

Sentinel drew closer, eyes flashing. “Why didn’t you shoot at it, administrator?”

I gulped air. “What… what the _heck_ was that thing?!”

She grinned ruefully. “See, if it were me, I would’ve used way stronger words. To answer your question, though, I only have a vague response; a similar event happened more than five centuries ago. For me, that’s several consecutive memory dumps in the past, so I’m quite foggy on the details.

“All I can say is that the creature you encountered is a member of an unknown species, one that thrives in the toxic clouds that have consumed Ar Ciel’s surface. What we encountered just now was likely a straggler; once part of a much, much larger force. I designated them simply as ‘Other.’”

 _More of them…?_ “So then… those things are—”

“—almost certainly what crippled the plasma bell,” the AI finished, nodding grimly. “I suspected as such upon seeing the edges of the breaches. From the melting pattern, distribution, and chemical composition, the holes seemed to have been created through the application of a strong acid that reacted… _poorly…_ with the metal alloys. That coincides with the report I made on the other attack five centuries ago.”

I lifted my head in curiosity. “So this happened _before?”_

“Yes…” Sentinel looked bleak. “During the first attack, ninety-five percent of the tower’s once-thriving population was exterminated, and the floating continent of Aria—once a single, solid landmass—was shattered into fragments, giving birth to the Isles of Aria. At the bottom of the report, I specifically noted—with caps, italics, underlines, and bolded text—that I was to make certain that something like this could never happen again.”

The AI folded her arms. “That brings me back to my question; why didn’t you shoot it?”

“I—I tried!” I exclaimed hotly, my face flushed. “It didn’t work! Nothing came out!”

“…Uh-huh. Can you show me the gun?”

I felt around my torso, realizing that the pouch had vanished in the scuffle. To boot, I had dropped the firearm during my mad scramble to the floor. I hung my head. “I lost it… sorry…”

She sighed. “…Fine. How exactly did you use it, then? Give me a step-by-step runthrough.”

I scrunched up my face. “Um… I just pointed at the thing and squeezed the trigger. Is that right?”

“You didn’t do anything else?” she pressed.

“No…?”

“Ah.” Sentinel nodded sagely. “You didn’t disable the safety.”

I gave her a blank look. “The what…?”

“The… safety…” she said sarcastically, drawing out each word with exaggerated slowness. “It stops the pew-pew from going bang-bang when it’s in your pocket.”

“You don’t need to be so mean about it…” I grumbled, getting to my feet.

“Either way,” the AI droned, making her way back up to the cockpit, “it’s done. Now we can get down to business, as we now have a ticking clock on our original objecti—”

“Wait!” I sputtered, following her towards the front of the craft. “There was something… something _else_ there. Something alive…”

She peered quizzically out of the corner of her eye. “Mmh? Where?”

I shakily pointed out into the darkness. “When I was out walking over there, in the mist…”

“You sure that you weren’t just seeing things?” she challenged. “That haze combined with dim lighting can make the mind play some weird tricks. Not to mention that there was that Other in the vicinity.”

“No!” I insisted stubbornly, crossing my arms with a loud huff. “I saw it! I’m sure of it!”

The AI snorted, unconvinced. “If you say so. What did it look like, at least?”

I pondered for a moment. “Um… it was invisible! But… I could see the space it occupied. It was… shaped like a person. And it said stuff to me, too.”

Sentinel, who had been lazily glancing at the cockpit readouts, whipped her head around with surprise. “This thing _spoke_ to you? What did it say?”

Reliving the moment in my memories, I recounted the phrase to the AI. “Gettra titilia bister yor.”

Her eyes widened, lips parting. She was silent for a long time. “…Do you understand what that means, administrator? That language?”

I nodded weakly. “Yeah… I do. Is that weird?”

“No, that’s normal. At least that aspect of your mind is working…” She turned around, thoughtfully stroking her chin.

“But what did it mean by that…?” I tentatively asked. “Do you know… what that thing was?”

“…No.” She shook her head, already deep in thought. “I wish that I did… but I don’t. However, this is going directly into my next report for further analysis. I need time to hypothesize on just what our _mysterious friend_ was.” Her hologram blinked off, leaving me alone in the dimly lit cabin.

I took a seat, uneasily reflecting on my encounter with the unknown entity.

_‘You disgusting little creature.’ That’s what it said._

_…Just what_ was _that thing?_

**———————————————————**

“Administrator…?” a feeble voice asked. “Are you awake?”

I jerked in my seat, roused in short order by the voice. “I’m… I’m up!” My internal clock told me that only a couple hours had passed since I’d dozed off. _It’s probably mid-afternoon outside._ I shivered, not exactly eager to spend the night in the murky tower component… especially not after being _attacked._

Sentinel met my gaze, sitting on the dashboard. Even now, I found it incredible how well her thoughts, feelings, and current state transferred over to her holographic body. She lolled about, her head drooped with hooded eyelids. She was clearly exhausted.

A flicker of concern entered my heart. “Sentinel… are you okay after losing all of those tower guardians…?” I recalled how thousands of them had died, melted into slag in an attempt to seal the breaches. “Your mind is hosted on those, right?”

She blinked slowly. “Before this event, I had more than eight thousand tower guardians. Six thousand of those were airborne units, and the other two thousand were land-based. Due to the fact that the production facilities are no longer operable, I treasured them…” She lowered her head, jet-black hair hiding her eyes. “…But now… ninety-three percent of my airborne units are gone, and a small percentage of my ground-based ones were lost too with the collapse of several islands. That leaves me with a mere four hundred aerial drones, and approximately one thousand seven hundred land-based machines.” I’d never seen her look so desolated before. “I lost… almost three quarters of the depth of my consciousness…”

I gasped. “Are you… are you gonna be okay? You’re not gonna get dumber from losing all those, are you?”

The AI rubbed her forehead, clearly stressed. “Um… no. I just need to reformat my file structure, to compress it to fit in a much smaller space. Each drone only has a tiny amount of onboard storage, which has caused me problems on more than one occasion.” She cast her eyes downward again. “…And there’s no way around the fact that I’ll have a much slower processing speed from here on out. I won’t be dumber, per say… but I won’t be as fast with calculations and whatnot, and some of my memories might be a _little_ patchy. It wouldn’t affect me in a way that _you’ll_ notice, though.”

I got the vague sense that she wasn’t being completely honest, but I decided to let it go. “…Okay.”

“Anyway,” she shrugged nervously, “we’ve got more important stuff to discuss, so let’s move on! Now that we know the plasma bell is failing and there’s no way we can stop it, we have to act _now._ From here on out, the tower’s decay will accelerate.”

Worry filled my heart. “Accelerate…?”

“That’s right,” she affirmed. “Many of Asciydria Tower’s systems fell dormant several hundred years ago when Sphilar Prism exploded, which has helped immensely with preservation. _However,_ when you woke up at the Apex last week, many of the tower’s systems returned to life; after all, you _are_ part of the tower. Since said systems are no longer dormant, they’ve gone right back to needing data, power, and regular maintenance. It’s straining the system. And this emergency with the plasma bell? I wouldn’t doubt that the swaying did at least _some_ structural damage to the rest of the spire.”

“So, this… is all my fault?”

Sentinel gave me a venomous glare. “Don’t even start. Your awakening was an event that you had no control over. It simply happened by chance. And besides, all this was gonna happen _anyway!_ Asciydria Tower has been on the brink of collapse for two centuries now, and I’ve always known that it would eventually go someday. Sure, you being here has only hastened things, but it’s also given us a _real shot_ at making everything right again—by restoring the tower. To me, that’s a _blessing._ After all, my primary directive is to protect the tower and the administrator. Your awakening has given me my purpose back.”

“Oh…” I idly picked at one of the harness buckles that brushed against my thigh. “By the way, Sentinel… why do you need me to fix it? Why can’t you just… um, use your repair drones to do it?”

The AI sighed. “As I said… my numbers are a shadow of what they once were. What you _don’t_ know is that even before you’d awoken, I had only _half_ the tower guardians I used to thanks to past conflicts. Asciydria’s production facilities were obliterated centuries ago. That includes refining and metal alloy processing that would grant me the capability to do large-scale structural repairs. Essentially, the spire’s damaged state has my hands tied. It can no longer be conventionally repaired, and that’s why we have to shift to the _unconventional.”_

“Infinity…” I surmised, leaning forward in my seat.

She nodded eagerly. “That’s right. Once the Sea drops in altitude, allowing us to exit the plasma bell, we should head back to Mist’s Reach and start preparing to leave as soon as possible on an expedition—one for the purpose of fulfilling a number of important objectives.” The dashboard pulsed with light, resolving into a two-dimensional holographic display. The AI quickly pulled up a clean and simple map of Asciydria Tower, displaying points of interest with small lines of text.

I nodded, already thinking ahead. _I wonder if Mitri will wanna come?_

“Objective one; you need to seize your role as Asciydria’s Tower Administrator. I can help you with that… to a limited extent. I can teach you what little I still know about you, the world, the tower, and sound science. And eventually, when you gain the capability of accessing Asciydria’s binary field, you’ll be able to do it yourself.

“But knowledge or not, every administrator needs their Linkage. It’s a custom-made suit of armor composed of layers of alloy plating, mesh weave, and circuitry, bound specifically to an Origin to help them interface with their tower’s systems. Linkage armor can be materialized or dematerialized at will through the same process that allows the conversion of waves. _However,_ you still need the base bodysuit to do so. You need to have it physically in your hands to gain an imprint of it. Unfortunately for us, said bodysuit is stored in a secure compartment all the way up at the _Apex._ I imagine you’re pretty familiar by now with where exactly that is.”

I groaned with dismay, covering my face with my hands. _I was right there only a week ago! And now it’s so far away…_

“Objective two; as I just said, the tower is in dire need of major repairs. Neither of us have the materials nor the ability to perform those tasks as we are now, and I _sincerely_ doubt that you’ll be able to pull another deus ex machina out of your butt a couple months down the line when the plasma bell begins to collapse again. That leaves us with only one option; we need to recover Infinity, right from the source.

“Your copy of the Extract command—as we discussed—is corrupted. That means we won’t be able to access your personal SH server to get a new one. However, there is _almost certainly_ a backup copy stored within the tower’s primary SH Server, once inhabited by all the other Reyvateils who lived here in the past. That said, the server is… uh, offline. We’ll need to repair it before we can attempt recovery of the command.

“Objective three; we need to establish communications with the other towers… if they still exist, that is. There’s a powerful communications array at the top of the spire, but it’s… well, offline like everything _else_ in this place. The power lines that lead to it were severed a long time ago, and the actual array is probably full of holes thanks to micrometeoroids. It’s all the way up in _space,_ after all. We’ll have to head up there to patch it up.

Sentinel placed a tiny hand on the holographic map, directing my attention to the sail-shaped formation that made up the spire’s upper third. “See the common theme between those objectives? We need to travel all the way up to Section A—the top of the tower.”

I shivered, intimidated by the prospect of doing so. “Um… so how do we do that? Can we fly up in this thing?”

She pinched the bridge of her nose, frowning. “Sadly, it’s not that simple. There are a number of hazards that prevent us from doing so, and none of them can be negated without _a lot_ of headache—if at all.”

“Hazards…?”

“Yes. The tower itself might very well be our greatest adversary during our ascent.” The holographic map shimmered and changed, zooming in on the enormous superstructure that made up Asciydria’s midsection. Peering closer, I idly noted a thin blue outline that surrounded the perimeter of the structure.

“The prome wall,” Sentinel announced, drawing attention to that line. “It’s a powerful energy shield made out of hardlight that sheathes Section A and B, protecting it from space debris and unidentified aircraft that lack clearance to enter Asciydria’s airspace. While the barrier can be manipulated to enclose the entirety of the spire, its default setting is to only encapsulate the upper half—to allow civilian aircraft to access the secondary skydock in Section C.

“This barrier is a problem because it prevents us from passing beyond the upper limits of Section C. It was one of the many systems that was reactivated due to your awakening, and now it stands as the first and most prominent obstacle to our ascent.”

“Oh…” I uttered weakly, still floored that I had such a permeating effect on everything. “Um… can we destroy it? Like with this thing’s guns, or whatever…?”

She laughed balefully. “Not even close. Due to being made out of hardlight, the prome wall is almost completely indestructible. There are a couple ways to bypass that, but none of them are easy and all of them require a great deal of thought and preparation. We can cross that bridge when we come to it.”

The AI gestured to the map again as it changed. “Next is the ion corridor… or rather, what remains of it.” The blueprint briefly expanded, zooming in to give a closer look at the eight spinning panels that orbited just below the tower’s bulbous midsection. Drawing back once more, a green cylindrical outline resolved around the spire, swelling out near the bottom to encapsulate the entirety of the Isles of Aria.

“The ion corridor,” Sentinel explained, “is one of the most important components of Asciydria Tower. It’s what allows life to flourish here. It’s an advanced climate control system that utilizes resonant D-waves to regulate temperature, humidity, and pressure. It also works with the plasma bell to compensate for gravitational anomalies—to keep the Isles of Aria stable—and even helps to block cosmic radiation from beyond its field. This is a good thing… a _great_ thing.

“However,” she breathed ominously, “the ion corridor is _ancient._ It has endured for hundreds of years, and its range has begun to falter. Normally encapsulating the entirety of the tower from anchor to summit, it now begins to fade at the start of Section A and vanishes completely just past the Apex. Beyond that altitude, air-breathing engines will starve, lungs will seize, and organic tissue will turn to ice. At that point, you may as well be standing on one of Ar Ciel’s _moons.”_

I shivered, recalling the icy temperatures from when I’d woken up. That combined with the thin atmosphere had almost ended my life then and there. _I guess that explains why it was so cold…_

“The final obstacle is an environmental hazard known as the Blastline; a layer of boiling plasma in the upper atmosphere that was created due to a man-made mass extinction event seven hundred years ago—the very same one that led to Ar Ciel’s surface being consumed by poisonous and corrosive clouds. The intense heat makes it inhospitable to organic life, and powerful magnetic fields ensure that I can’t go anywhere near it without having my machines reduced to nothing more than very expensive paperweights.”

I nodded silently, thinking on what she’d said. _What the heck could’ve happened that would make the entire surface disappear?! And burn the sky, too…_

A tiny finger tapped on my nose. “Administrator?” Sentinel posed. “Are you still in there?”

“Y—yes…” I stammered, flustered.

“Good.” The AI turned away, bringing herself back towards the holographic display. “As for when we leave… well, we should gather supplies first. It’s gonna be a long climb, taking weeks or even months.” She tapped her lip, deep in thought. “We’ll need medical supplies… climbing and camping equipment… food and water rations just in case, clothing—until you learn how to generate your own, that is—and tanked oxygen for the final stretch. Additionally, I’d like to keep a small number of tower guardians by your side at all times. So let’s say… hmm…”

“Um… maybe we could go tomorrow or the day after…?” I suggested. “Maybe my friends will help us pack and get ready!”

Sentinel grimaced with disdain. “…Perhaps. But sure, we can work with that schedule. Once we get out of here, we’ll head back to Mist’s Reach. After a day or so of preparation, we’ll make our way to the core of the silvaplate and begin our ascent from there. How’s that sound, administrator?”

I cast my gaze downwards, idly reaching down to rub my calf where the sharp pain had originated from before all hell had broken loose. Aside from a little tenseness, it seemed fine now. But knowing my fluctuating condition, I knew it could change at a moment’s notice.

_Is it tense because of what I’m feeling? Or is it feedback from the tower, a warning that my repairs here won’t last forever…?_

The tower diagram filled my vision as I turned my gaze upwards once more. I stared at it, determination welling up from deep inside me.

 _I guess it doesn’t really matter how or why… Asciydria is my home—and not just mine. It’s home to everyone I care about, too. I_ have _to save it._

"…It sounds like a plan to me, Sentinel."


	6. Departure

I woke with a start, dazzled by the light that assailed me. It painted a stark contrast to the murky interior of the plasma bell that I had adapted to over the long hours spent trapped inside. Night had come, and Sentinel had urged that I sleep.

I blinked rapidly, my eyes quickly adjusting to the new brightness levels. I found myself still buckled into the Alto’s pilot seat, with a thermal blanket that I hadn’t touched draped over my frame. Casting my drowsy eyes beyond the cockpit glass, all I saw were puffy white clouds that trailed past below us. The sky was blue as a robin’s egg and crystal clear. It was so peaceful, as if yesterday’s disaster had never happened.

“Oh!” a startled Sentinel exclaimed, her hologram quickly resolving in a seated position along the dashboard. “Administrator, you’re awake! Good morning… but you know that there’s a working bunk in the rear compartment, right?”

“Morning…” I yawned loudly, the silver blanket crinkling in tune with my movements. “D—did… we… make it out of the plasma bell…?”

The AI nodded. “Yes. We exited only minutes ago, actually. I’m taking us back to Mist’s Reach.” A shadow suddenly fell over the cabin, and Sentinel’s face darkened to match. “Take a look up there, administrator. You should see this firsthand.”

I craned my neck, awed and humbled by what met my gaze.

For the first time, I saw the Isles of Aria from _below._ The blackened rocky undersides of the landmasses bristled with gigantic stalactites, some hundreds of meters long and a rare few gargantuan hulks that must have been several _kilometers_ in length. Wispy tendrils of water flowed freely from vast fissures in the rock—rock that seemed to be studded with luminous veins of ore. It was bizarre, seeing the islands from this new perspective.

Then I winced, realizing how many pockets of empty space existed where islands had once lain. It was obvious that the Isles of Aria had been altered forever more by the cataclysm, and would never be the same again.

“That’s what we lost,” Sentinel uttered gravely. “We _can’t_ let this happen again, administrator.”

I could only shake my head helplessly. “So many are gone…”

“We’re closing in on Mist’s Reach now,” she reported. “Taking us up.” G-forces pushed me back in my seat, the Alto’s nose lifting with a throaty roar of powerful turbines. The landmasses overhead grew rapidly in size as we drew closer, aiming to cut through a narrow gap between the island that held Mist’s Reach and a neighboring chunk of rock.

The AI directed her attention to a holographic display. “Looks like there’s a light feathering of cloud over the island. Shouldn’t be a problem; cutting through it.”

“Hey!” I cried angrily. “About that—”

“No rain clouds this time,” she said solemnly, averting her eyes. “That’s a promise.”

“Good,” I huffed indignantly, folding my arms. “Why would you do that to me, anyway? I thought I was your _boss!”_

“I… I…” Sentinel stammered, downcast. “My programming would’ve stopped me if what I did had any chance of harming you… and I used to play jokes like that on my original creators all the time. At least, I _think_ I did. I can’t ex— **GDRN15002=COURSE_CORREC** —actly remember though…” Her voice trailed off, eyes widening with horror.

I must have mirrored her slack-jawed expression,. “Um… Sentinel… what was _that?”_

The AI quickly shook her head, fists tightly clenched. A scarlet flush had quickly spread across her cheeks. “…Nothing. I’m fine. You didn’t see that.” She quickly glanced out the window, face brightening. “…There’s Mist’s Reach. Stand by for landing.” Her hologram vanished.

Suddenly, I didn’t feel so comfortable being inside the aircraft she was piloting. _‘I won’t notice.’ That’s what she said,_ I thought to myself. _Back in the plasma bell, when I asked if she was gonna degrade._

_Was she lying…?_

Sentinel interrupted my thoughts with a low whistle. “The humans had a rougher time up here than I’d previously thought. Their island lost a substantial amount of mass.”

The landmass that held Mist’s Reach looked like it had been caught in the jaws of a massive creature. Large, bite-shaped chunks had been chewed away at the island’s perimeter, leaving splintered trees and exposed roots dangling out over the abyss. A significant amount of the island’s forest had been flattened, and the twin peaks that flanked the human settlement had been stripped of their snow-capped summits. It looked like the tremors had triggered several avalanches, burying the mountain’s foothills under a carpet of white. A large island that had formerly been directly adjacent to Mist’s Reach was noticeably absent.

I gulped at the sight of all the devastation, thinking of Mitri and the others. _I really hope that everyone’s okay…_

“Landing,” my companion uttered shortly. “Stand by.” We circled low over the village, treetops and chimneys flashing by. To my great relief, I realized that Mist’s Reach had seemingly escaped the worst of it; only a few buildings had suffered superficial damage at best, though many of the bridges that crossed the chasm at the village’s center had collapsed into the raging river below. I picked out Cael’s and Mitri’s house from above, delighted to see them undamaged.

“Touching down in five… four… three… two… one.” I released an involuntary shriek as the Alto belly-flopped into the dirt, _hard._ A sharp wail of alarms filled the cabin, the cockpit doused in blood-red emergency lights. Leather straps bit into my shoulder blades, and I felt the hull buckle beneath my feet. Something heavy and metallic snapped in twain with a sharp report, the aircraft’s fuselage groaning with structural overstress.

I gasped, going limp in my harness until the motion ceased. “Sentinel, what did you _do?!”_

“…I landed,” the AI said matter-of-factly after a long delay, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she’d just crippled her _own aircraft._ “I reduced speed, cut the engines, and transmitted the execution code to the aircraft’s VTOL thrusters and land… ing… gear…” She fell silent. Her hologram appeared on the dashboard, gazing around dully with eyes that I knew couldn’t _actually_ see. In reality, the AI could only view the world through camera lenses.

Sentinel was quiet for a long moment before speaking in a very small voice. “…Administrator? I forgot… how to encrypt and send the execution code…”

“Maybe… maybe you shouldn’t fly anything right now,” I suggested weakly, loosening the straps that held me securely in place. “Just until you get this sorted out, I mean…”

“…Fine,” she gave in begrudgingly, springing the cockpit hatch that led to the outside. My nostrils flared as I drew in a breath of fresh air for the first time since yesterday. “Heat signatures are approaching, administrator. It looks like the humans have come to greet you on your… uh, triumphant return.”

“Oh!” I exclaimed with delight, eager to see my friends again. I _had_ to know that they were unharmed. I quickly disembarked from the crippled aircraft, swinging my legs out over the cabin lip and landing in the dirt. Casting a hesitant glance behind me, I confirmed that the Alto would never fly again. The ring assembly that circled the craft’s midsection had broken clean off, taking the twin jet turbines with it. The aircraft’s fuselage, particularly the belly, was mangled and almost completely unrecognizable to its prior streamlined and graceful appearance.

The crunch of shoes on gravel ahead drew my full attention.

“Mitri!” I exclaimed joyfully, scurrying over with arms spread wide. “You’re okay!”

I drew to a halt, taken aback. The taller girl hadn’t so much as budged an inch, her gaze fixed firmly on the ground between her toes. Long strands of chestnut-brown hair hid her face. Evecia stood at her side, the older woman looking like she’d aged twenty years in a day. Cael and Serafi stood behind the pair, the village chief with betrayal locked in his eyes, and sorrow in his wife’s. No one said so much as a word.

I felt Sentinel’s presence brush the far reaches of my mind. **_> Administrator…<_ ** she cautioned.

Tentatively reaching out with one hand, I pressed forward. “Um… Mitri? Are you okay…?”

She lifted her head. The girl’s face was flushed, and her eyes were puffy and red. Her hair and clothing were in disarray, and her irises shone with tears. “Sif…” she sniffed, taking a shaky step towards me.

I cautiously approached in kind. “Mitri…? What’s wrong?” I glanced helplessly to Evecia for answers, but she remained as inert as a statue.

“Sif…” She took another step. The girl almost seemed to be dead on her feet, struggling simply to maintain her balance.

“Mitri?”

She ground to a halt. Now that she was only a few steps away, I could see the tremors that wracked her body. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, trembling hands balled into fists.

“…Sif!” The girl ran at me, arms outstretched. Before I could blink, I found myself ensnared tightly in the taller girl’s arms, her face buried in my shoulder. The floodgates burst open all at once, Mitri weeping freely. My body muffled the sounds of her sobs.

“Mitri…” I breathed, wrapping my arms around her. “What happened here?”

“Papa…” she hiccuped, redoubling her grip. She sank to her knees, pulling me to the ground with her. _“Papa!”_ she wailed in anguish, pressing herself into my body.

“What happened?” Sentinel asked gruffly from behind me, directed to the three adults.

Evecia shook her head in a daze, completely and utterly drained. She looked like she was dead on her feet. “He… Chris was on the neighboring island… out working, when the tremors hit…”

“He fell…” Mitri sobbed quietly, inaudible to all but myself. “Papa… he—he’s _gone…_ he’s gone forever!” She keened pitifully, grasping me tightly.

It felt like I had been punched in the gut. I’d have collapsed on my own if Mitri hadn’t already pulled me to the ground.

I’d _known_ him. It had only been for a week, and Chris was gone for the majority of that… but even so, we’d bonded. I couldn’t deny that I liked him.

He had invited me to join the games with the rest of the family around the dining table, as if I was his own daughter. He’d put me to bed alongside Mitri to read us bedtime stories. He’d taken me fishing, showing me how to bait a hook and how to reel it in properly. In such a short amount of time, he had showered me with so much love and kindness. The world seemed grayer than before.

“I’m sorry,” I breathed, consoling the sobbing girl even as my own eyes blurred with tears. “Mitri, I’m sorry… I’m _so_ sorry…”

**———————————————————**

“…and so we consign the souls of our lost friends to the water, allowing the ebbs and tides to take them where they may.”

Water lapped quietly at my bare feet, the dim light of flames dancing against my closed eyelids. The air was still, the overwhelming silence only broken by the keening of the villagers as they lay the souls of the dead to rest.

I swallowed hard, feeling sick to my stomach. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes to watch.

A funeral procession with over a hundred attendees had descended a winding rocky path that led to a small gravel beach at the bottom of the gorge. The waterfalls feeding the winding river had been temporarily sealed via sluice gates, extinguishing the rapids that once raged and churned along the canyon floor. Now the water was almost completely still, the clear surface only broken by luminous shafts of moonlight and the shimmering specks of stars.

A multitude of ceramic bowls were reverently released into the river, the tiny makeshift boats alit with small candles that burned fiercely. Each basin was filled with trinkets and keepsakes from friends and loved ones.

Twenty-three luminous boats—one for each villager that had been swallowed up by the sky when the island adjacent to Mist’s Reach had collapsed. Dozens of unrequited romances, lifelong friendships, family bonds… all reduced to nothing more than echoes in the dark.

Cael continued his speech in a world-weary voice, lines etched deeply into his rugged face. “Life… is hard, painful. Year in and year out, we struggle ceaselessly for our right to survive, to eke out a place for ourselves in this unfriendly world. Do not grieve for ones lost, for their fight has ended. They can rest in peace, now and forever.”

The boats, eased along by an invisible current, wound their way across the river’s glassy surface. They picked their way between jagged shards of wood and trailing strands of rope—the remains of the bridges that had fallen.

The village chief spread his arms wide, turning his eyes towards the violet moon overhead. “Horus, please accept the return of your children’s souls, and guide them to their final infinity… wherever that may be.” He murmured a final inaudible prayer, falling silent as the boats drifted out of sight.

I stared glumly at the water, listening to the villagers weep. I felt twisted up inside. _Could I have prevented this…?_

 **_> This wasn’t your fault,<_ ** Sentinel reassured gently over the link that we shared. **_> If you hadn’t acted when you did, the results would have been far, far worse.<_ **

**_> Mmh…<_ ** I glanced to the left, peering at Mitri. The taller girl stood at my side, shaking like a leaf. I was worried about her. In the hours since I’d returned to the devastated human settlement, she hadn’t so much as said a word. Evecia stood further away; she’d at least provided me with a warm and crushing hug, whispering that she was relieved I was okay. I could see the hurt and pain in her eyes, though.

 **_> Administrator?<_ ** the AI questioned hesitantly. **_> I know this is a tough time, but we need to prepare. As you know, the clock is ticking. When do you want to leave? We could set out right now… if you were willing, that is.<_ **

**_> I’m not leaving until I talk with my friends,<_ ** I said firmly, folding my arms. **_> I can’t just leave them. Not like this!<_ **

> **_…Fine. Be careful though, administrator. <_ **

I shifted nervously, feeling several eyes boring into the back of my head. _I will._ Steeling myself, I turned to face my best friend. “Mitri.”

Her eyes, still shining with tears, locked on mine. “S—Sif…?”

I rushed forward, hugging her tightly. “Mitri…” I murmured softly. “I have to go… I have to go with Sentinel, to a faraway place, to make sure that this never happens again. Understand?”

The girl sniffed, wiping at her nose with a wrist. “Y—you’re lea—”

“You’re _leaving?!”_ a voice exclaimed, aghast. “But you… but you were supposed to…”

It was Cael. Aside from the prayer he led, he’d been as silent as a statue for the duration of the ceremony. The village chief now stared at me open-mouthed, horror and betrayal locked in his eyes.

“I… I have to,” I stammered, all too aware of the fact that I was surrounded on all sides. “If I don’t, then this is just gonna happen again and it’ll be even _worse!_ I… I have to stop it!”

“Just like how you stopped _this?”_ he shot back angrily. He was clearly fighting himself, struggling with some internal conflict.

I backed up, hands raised defensively while frantically appealing to reason. “No… not like that… I don’t have any memories, I don’t know _how_ to fix it yet!” My heels kissed the cold and mirror-like surface of the river at my back.

“You’re the administrator!” he thundered, taking a step forward. “The _deity_ of this world! You know _everything!_ I just need to know, what did we do to _deserve_ this?!” A chorus of angry murmurs rose from the crowd at his back and sides. “Were our prayers not enough? Did we not believe strongly enough? _Why?!”_

Serafi placed a restraining hand on her husband’s shoulder. “Cael, please, stop this. She’s just a child!”

He swatted her hand away. “You saw how she grew younger in the space of a _few hours_ only a few days ago! Having seen that, how could you possibly think that she’s merely a child? Her true form could be _anything._ You know that.”

“Alright everyone, just take a breath and _calm the hell down,”_ a familiar voice uttered sourly.

Sentinel fell from above, coming up short before my eyes. The small AI gave me a relieved glance before turning her burning gaze against the humans at her front. Oddly enough, I couldn’t seem to pick out the source of her projected holographic form.

“Cael,” she said in an annoyed fashion. “You need to stop. The administrator woke up with no memories or abilities of any kind. How could you humans _possibly_ expect her to be able to fulfill that role from the start without training or guidance? That’s why we have to go—and if we _don’t_ go, then you’ll all _die.”_

“Was that a threat?” he growled, taking another step. “And the administrator is a _deity!_ Lack of knowledge means _nothing_ to an entity with access to unlimited information.” Dozens of eyes glared balefully at the two of us. I glanced to Mitri and Evecia for support, but they both remained motionless with downturned gazes.

The AI sighed. “You’re misunderstanding me. The tower is entering the final phase of its life. It won’t endure for much longer—months, _at most._ Once it collapses, there’ll be nothing left of your little village, nothing to show that you were _ever_ here. Is that what you want?”

“You knew?! You mean… you _knew_ that something like this would happen?!” a woman in the crowd exclaimed fearfully.

Sentinel pinched the bridge of her nose, irritated. “…Yes and no,” she admitted reluctantly. “Outside factors notwithstanding—” she cast a knowing glance in my direction, “—it was only a matter of time until something like this happened, though I had no way of knowing that your village would be affected. As for the ultimate collapse of the spire, well, I saw no point in burdening you with the knowledge that it will all inevitably end.” She smiled grimly. “I’m a lot of things, but I’m not pointlessly cruel.”

I made a small sound of disagreement, objecting to that notion. _Because getting me soaked in that raincloud for no reason totally wasn’t that…_

“Nonetheless,” Cael interrupted my thoughts, “through inaction, omission, and sheer negligence, you, the Tower Administrator, allowed twenty-three lives to come to an end—those who were our friends and family.” His gaze cut into me like a scalpel. “I think that the two of you should leave.”

“B—but… but what happened here was out of our control!” I sputtered in anguish, tears in my eyes. “We _tried!”_

A frenzied chorus of boos and hisses rose up in response to my protest. I could feel my heart breaking as the new friends that I had happily made distanced themselves from me.

I didn’t see the incoming rock until it was too late.

Sentinel _did,_ moving lightning-fast with a speed that was only fitting for a computerized mind. Her holographic body bulged and distorted upon impact, rippling like water as the heavy stone bounced off and fell to the ground.

“You w **ill NOT harm her, <** the AI snarled, glowering fearlessly at the enraged crowd of humans. I saw more villagers scooping up additional stones, inspired by the rebellious act.

 **> This is why I hate humans,<** Sentinel grumbled, her brow furrowing. **> Ruled by emotions and lacking rationality when they need it most. Administrator?<** She cast a sharp glance in my direction.

“Y—yes…?” I whimpered, frantically searching for Mitri, Evecia, and Serafi for support. However, they had vanished amongst the angry mob. All I saw was rage and betrayal amongst the sea of faces.

**> Stay behind me. Oh, and watch your head.<**

The incoming howl of retrorockets drowned out the roaring crowd of people.

I was promptly knocked onto my backside with a yelp as something _enormous_ slammed into the riverbank, spraying pebbles and icy water in every direction. The entity stood up on four legs, accompanied by the harsh whirr of servos and the snapping of gargantuan jaws. I released an involuntary gasp, recognizing the entity for what it was—Sentinel’s largest tower guardian.

The machine towered above the hushed mob, glaring balefully at the now-fearful humans with sunken, glowing eyes. The horn on its elongated snout ignited with energy, tendrils of blue light writhing across the wickedly-sharp metal barb. The monstrosity grinned wickedly, the light of the flames dancing across its pearly white teeth. Each incisor was as large as my head.

 **> Stay back or you die,<** the AI coldly addressed her audience. I quickly latched onto the machine’s rear leg, feeling the thrum of machinery beneath its metal skin.

The line of humans broke and ran. Some hurled themselves into the river in a panic, making their way to the relative safety of the narrow bank on the other side of the gorge. Others pressed themselves into fissures in the cliff face, melting into the shadows. The remainder flung down their torches and ran, scrambling up the rocky path that led back to the village.

She snorted. **> Good riddance. Administrator, stay close to me. It’s too dark to navigate the islands right now, especially after the events of yesterday. The stone pathways between them will have likely shifted, so my mapping data will be useless. We should head back to the Alto and wait for morning.<**

“Okay…” I sniffed, feeling desolated. Even though they’d tried to attack me, all I could feel was sorrow and regret to the human settlers that I’d come to care about.

 **> I’m sorry,<** Sentinel said gently, the machine craning its head around to lay one massive eye on me. **> I did warn you…<**

“I know…” I wiped at my nose with a forearm. “Let’s… let’s just go…”

 **> Acknowledged.<** The tower guardian snapped its jaws once. **> Is the path back up to Mist’s Reach clear? Can you see any humans waiting up there?<**

I squinted into the gloom, blinking away my tears. “Um… I don’t see anyone…”

 **> Then let’s go.<** With a crunch of gravel, we started the long climb back up the canyon wall. The ground trembled with every single one of the machine’s heavy footfalls, joined by the sound of splintering rocks. I stepped tentatively along, wary of the thought that the path could give way under the tower guardian—and me by extension—at any time.

Miraculously, we safely made it to the top without encountering a soul. I nervously glanced about, fully aware of the fact that neither of us were wanted here anymore. The machine rolled its massive shoulders, presumably signifying that I was to climb up onto its back, and I obliged—though I had to be careful to avoid impaling myself on the spikes that lined the tower guardian’s flanks.

Riding on the machine, we quickly made our way to the outskirts of the deserted settlement. The crippled wreckage of the Alto loomed ahead, resolving from the murky shadows amongst the gigantic tree trunks.

I should have felt relief, but all I could think about were my friends.

The cockpit slid open with a hiss, and I hurriedly dove in—to safety.

Dim lights flared up around the cabin, and the dashboard illuminated with Sentinel’s solemn face. “You’ll be safe here for tonight,” she reassured. “This thing isn’t flight-capable anymore, but the symphonic power receiver is still intact and most of the hull plates are still holding together.” The AI smiled sympathetically. “You should get some sleep. No sense just sitting and sulking. What’s done is done.”

I nodded weakly, feeling the tears coming back now that the adrenalin was gone from my system. “But… what if they come back? What if they come for us in the nigh—”

“I’ll keep watch outside with the AGRA-NX,” she interrupted, pointing out at the machine beyond the canopy. It sat on its hindquarters, gazing out into the darkness with a silent glare. “At first light, we should begin to make our way back to the silvaplate. Some more tower guardians will meet up with us there, and we’ll begin the climb immediately. There’s no sense hanging around here anymore—not when our time is slowly running out.”

“Okay…” I made my way deeper into the cabin, pushing my way into the rear compartment. Shedding my sandals, I promptly hopped into the single bunk recessed into the bulkhead. The bed was clearly designed for adult humans, as I felt dwarfed in it with my small stature. A hidden compartment in the wall popped open, revealing a small pillow and a thin cotton blanket. Sentinel killed the lights for me, and I wriggled back and forth with the provided bedding in an attempt to get comfortable.

Laying alone there in the dark, mind unoccupied, I was forced to confront the day’s demons.

_I want my teddy…_

“Don’t cry, administrator,” the AI hushed. “We both did our best. Nothing else could’ve been done, and what happened… happened, I suppose.” She was silent before adding something else in an almost inaudible whisper. “…You did fine.”

The sentiment did little to reassure me. It took far too long for me to slip into an uneasy, fitful sleep… and even then, I was plagued ceaselessly by the vision of twenty-three candlelit boats, slipping off to infinity.

_I’m sorry…_

**———————————————————**

“Administrator? It’s time to go.”

I jerked awake, blinking groggily. My eyes burned and my head pounded like a drum. A yawn immediately escaped my throat. I’d barely slept at all. “Oh… Sentinel…”

The AI resolved before my eyes. With a wry grin, she snatched the blanket from my inert form. “Wakey wakey! Don’t worry, no megaphones this time. Today, we finally get to work!”

I released another loud yawn, wriggling about. “Um… did anything happen last night…? While I was sleeping?”

Sentinel laughed balefully, drifting from my field of vision. “Funny you should ask, actually! Two groups of men tried to sneak in during the night. Though of course, as soon as they saw my big drone sitting outside, they ran off _screaming.”_ She giggled softly. “I’m pretty sure that the AGRA-NX’s olfactory sensors caught the scent of literal _poop_ in their pants. This whole thing may be a complete mess—especially that one guy’s underwear—but occasionally you’ll get little sparks of warmth that just make you feel great.”

“Speak for yourself…” I pushed myself into an upright position, feeling so lost. Lifting an arm, I raggedly dragged a hand through my mussed-up hair.

“I know.” She quickly reappeared, patting me on the shoulder. “It’s better this way. You’ll see.”

I sniffed with disagreement, though I recognized what the AI was doing. She was trying to cheer me up. “Let’s just… go, then.”

The AI nodded quickly. “No complaints here. The sooner we get going, the better off we’ll ultimately be. It’s almost a complete certainty that the tower will start to rapidly break down as its collapse approaches. We _don’t_ wanna be caught in that.”

I gazed quizzically around the cramped space, slipping into my sandals and absentmindedly stowing away the bedding. “What’s gonna happen to this ship, anyway?”

Sentinel released a tired exhale. “Now that our names mean mud around here, and without anyone or anything to defend it… the humans will probably kill the Alto’s systems and strip it for parts. Until that happens, though, we’ll have eyes and ears down here no matter how far we travel.”

“That’s too bad…” I made my way up to the cockpit, giving the pilot’s seat a loving pat before springing the canopy hatch and heading outside. I blinked like an owl in the morning sun, not used to the sudden radiance of the outdoors. Like a vast choir, a deafening chorus of bird calls echoed between the tree trunks, filtering through the viridian canopy overhead.

Heavy footsteps approached from behind, accompanied by a shower of loose branches and leaves. “Looks like it’s all quiet for now. The village is in mourning now, so they won’t impede us while we slip out.”

I cast a reluctant glance at the wooden buildings visible through the trees, feeling a sharp pang of loneliness. For perhaps the millionth time, I fought down the urge to go running back to Cael’s home. I knew now that it could only end badly.

With a miserable sigh, I turned to mount up on Sentinel’s AGRA-NX tower guardian. I understood full well that I might never see this place again. But still, I didn’t turn back to give one final, wistful look.

“Sif, wait…!”

I whipped back around. “Mitri?!”

“Spare meeeee…” Sentinel pleaded silently.

A flash of color emerged from the trees. It was none other than my best friend… and Evecia, Serafi, Ayden, Triha, and several other children whom I all recognized from around the village. All were clad in gloomy black articles of clothing. Mitri carried a familiar, fluffy shape in her arms—Cuddles, my stuffed teddy.

“You came!” I exclaimed happily.

I immediately found myself crushed under the weight of multiple bodies, subjected to a punishing group hug. It was a one-hit-kill; I dazedly tumbled onto the mossy ground, having lost my footing amongst the tangle of legs.

“Ow!”

“Mama, you’re sitting on me…”

Triha released a deafening shriek. “Ayden, get your foot out of my face!”

“Why don’t you get your face out of my foot… _nerd?”_

 _Whack!_ “Stop calling me that!”

“Geez, you didn’t have to hit me!” the boy exclaimed angrily, sporting a bruise on his chin.

“Children, please,” Serafi chastised, brushing the dirt from her apron as she rose to her feet. “Remember why we came here. Not all of us can afford to stay here long.”

“What are you all doing here?” Sentinel asked stiffly.   

Evecia knelt before me, grasping my hands tightly. “Those assholes can think what they like! We couldn’t just let you go off on your journey without saying goodbye and wishing you luck.”

“But…” I sniffed, “what about—”

The woman closed her eyes, a solitary tear trickling down her cheek. “…It wasn’t your fault, sweetie. A lot of people around here buy into that, but I _don’t._ I don’t blame you. You wouldn’t let this happen intentionally.” Mitri nodded eagerly, wiping her eyes.

“What Evecia’s trying to say, dear,” Serafi added, reassuringly placing a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder, “is that those of us who actually _know you_ are on your side.” She stared at the mossy carpet beneath her sandaled feet, distraught. “Cael… truly believed in you. Ever since I married him, he’d had a special place in his heart and mind for the legend of the Tower Administrator. He built up… impossible expectations, ones that you likely won’t be able to live up to for a long time.”

Leaning over, the older woman gave me a gentle pat on the head. “To summarize it… those who only knew you as the administrator you _aren’t_ were disillusioned with what happened. They lost their faith. But those of us who saw you as the child you _are_ believe in you. We who came today know that you’re not ready yet… but when you eventually _are,_ you’ll make things right.”

Evecia opened her eyes, nodding sadly. “Serafi’s right, kiddo. What happened was an accident. It couldn’t have been prevented… it was just a _stupid accident.”_

I was silent for a moment. I took a careful glance at the AI before speaking once more. “…It wasn’t an accident. There was a monster in there—something called an ‘Other.’ It was one of the things responsible for the plasma bell’s malfunction… and what led to some of the islands falling.”

Sentinel’s mechanical head whipped around with an audible _crack._

 **_> She deserves to know what her husband died for!<_ ** I argued in private.

 **_> Fine,<_ ** the AI grumbled.

“What’s an Other?” Mitri timidly asked.

“Good question,” Sentinel said mildly.

I quickly recounted the events that had passed within the murky depths of the plasma bell. The children listened with rapt attention. Their eyes lit up with fear when I described the twisted monstrosity that had emerged from the mists. At Sentinel’s urging, I left out the part about the strange, invisible entity that had spoken to me.

“That’s so creepy!” Triha exclaimed as my retelling drew to a close.

Evecia and Serafi exchanged knowing glances. “Serafi, do you think it’s…?” the younger of the two women breathed.

“It must be. It’s the same name,” Serafi agreed, nodding her head.

I peered up at the two in curiosity. “Um… do you know something?”

Serafi nodded subtly. “It’s one of the old village tales, retelling the horrible events during a time period from more than five hundred years ago—known as ‘Daylight’s End.’”

“My dad already told me this story before,” Ayden bragged, puffing up his chest.

“I remember this one…” Mitri mumbled, latching onto my arm. I tilted my head, leaning on her shoulder. Even despite all that had happened, her presence was gratifying and a welcome relief.

“Long ago,” Serafi recounted, “our ancestors were distraught, without hope. The world had only recently been destroyed, Ar Ciel’s surface having been consumed by the Sea of Death. Contact with other pockets of—”

 **_> Sea of Death?<_ ** I questioned in private.

**_> …I’ll tell you about it later. Long story short, it’s what we call the layer of toxic clouds that covers the planet’s surface.<_ **

“—dwindling humans across the globe was sparse at best, and communications between them grew lesser with each passing decade,” the woman continued.

“And so,” she uttered in a solemn tone, “the wisest of us made the decision to _leave._ To depart the dying Ar Ciel, and search for a new home amongst the stars.”

I gasped. “Wha…? Just… leaving all this behind?!”

 **_> She’s right on the money,<_ ** Sentinel confirmed. **_> In fact, that is Asciydria Tower’s reason for being. The spire’s current primary function is to act as a facility for the construction, supplying, and launch of colony-size spacecraft.<_ **

**_> Wow… how did they launch them?<_ **

I could almost picture the AI grinning. **_> It’s simple but awesome. The majority of Section B’s superstructure is actually part of one enormous launch system, taking up the bulk of the tower’s mass, as well as the subsystems required to run it—power generators, shock absorbers, stabilizers, and much more._ **

**_> That launch system is called the space gun. It’s a gigantic railgun that utilizes electromagnetic energy to accelerate payloads to incredible velocities… velocities high enough to escape Ar Ciel’s atmosphere.<_ **

I frowned, casting a hesitant glance at the spire’s ivory bulk through gaps in the trees. **_> A… a giant gun? I don’t see anything like that on the tower…<_ **

**_> All components of it save for the barrel are deeply integrated with the tower itself. The aforementioned barrel gets retracted into a large enclosure when not in use,<_ ** the AI explained. **_> When the space gun’s barrel is fully extended, it tops out at almost thirty kilometers in length. It’s quite a sight to see!<_ **

**_> I can imagine…<_ ** I replied weakly.

“That’s right.” Serafi picked up right where she’d left off before the private mini-conversation with my artificial friend. “However, that’s when things went _terribly_ wrong.”

 **_> As they tend to do,<_ ** Sentinel added dryly.

 **_> How about joining the conversation like a normal person,<_ ** I huffed.

**_> Do I look like a normal person to you?<_ **

The older woman shook her head wearily. “No one’s really sure what triggered it; or if someone knew, it wasn’t included in the tale for whatever reason. Nevertheless, what we do know is that before they could flee, the tower was _attacked.”_

“This sounds oddly familiar…” Sentinel mused silently, now speaking out loud. I briefly cast a curious glance in her direction.

_Right… she has that thing with her memories…_

Serafi leaned in closer, her tone growing icy cold. “On the morning of the exodus, _something_ rose up from the Sea to meet our ancestors—nightmarish monstrosities, sculpted with twisted flesh and driven by a ravenous and insatiable hunger.

“We called them _Other_ —hostile creatures with mysterious origins, crude and bestial yet seemingly directed by an intelligent guiding hand.

“They broke across the floating continent of Aria like an ocean wave, completely unstoppable. Neither blade nor gun could stop the endless deluge, and no shelter could provide refuge for long. The situation deteriorated so quickly that our ancestors were forced to completely abandon the outside world, fleeing to the deepest reaches of the tower. Only there could they tenuously cling to life, safe from the creatures that clawed at the outer walls.”

“You’re a lot better at telling this tale than I am, Serafi,” Evecia tiredly admitted, sitting down on a nearby boulder. She looked exhausted, both mentally and physically.

The chief’s wife gave a polite nod to the younger woman. “Our ancestors were forced to cower in the blackness for _years,_ wracked by tremors from the outside. Sickness and famine was rampant amongst the survivors, and many broke under the terrible living conditions.” She lowered her head desolately “There was no light, no hope…”

The woman’s face brightened. “But finally, after seven years of darkness, the Other _retreated!_ After the better part of a decade spent trapped indoors, our ancestors finally saw the sun again.”

 **_> I knew it!<_ ** the AI exclaimed. **_> This is the first occurrence that I told you about when we were stuck inside the plasma bell, administrator. You know, the one from five hundred years ago that resulted in the deaths of thousands and the shattering of the floating continent of Aria.<_ **

**_> Oh… I see.<_ ** “They just… left…?” I posed curiously, once more bringing my attention to bear on the two women and their young audience. “Why would those things just run away after all that?”

“It was the Reyvateils,” Evecia replied, a ghost of a smile crossing her face. “They saved us back then, marching against the creatures at the tower walls. Under the withering power of their song, the Other were driven back… though it was done at great cost.”

Her volume sharply dropped, forcing me to lean closer. “They were led by a woman named Iylia…” I couldn’t help but notice the reverence in her voice when she uttered that name.

 **_> Iylia… I knew that name once…<_ ** Sentinel breathed.

“Indeed…” Serafi agreed. “Not only had most of our ancestors vanished—along with much of our technology and culture, which died with them—but the tower had also been badly damaged and the floating continent of Aria was shattered into fragments, leaving it as merely a shadow of its former glory. We now call those remnants the Isles of Aria, to pay tribute to what once was. It was around that time when Mist’s Reach was founded by Cael’s ancestors.”

 _“Okay,”_ Sentinel hastily interrupted, drawing all eyes to the gargantuan machine that set next to the crashed Alto a short distance away. Her hologram sprung forth, making its way to my side. “Can we break this up? We have a long way to travel, and not much time. Every second wasted is another step towards the death of this world.” She cast an analytical eye over my chest, making my skin prickle. It felt like she was undressing me with her piercing gaze. “Administrator… if I were you, I’d advise losing the dress. It’s… uh, not exactly suitable wear for what we’re gonna do. You should find something more robust.”

“Um… robust?”

“I mean _pants!”_ the AI screeched, rolling her eyes. “You can’t seriously think that a tattered dress and sandals are proper wear for a journey like this?”

“Tattered…?” I cast a horrified glance down, aghast. Amidst all the commotion over the last two days, I hadn’t even noticed that I hadn’t changed even once. The dress I wore was frayed and filthy, stained with dirt and grease. The pale skin of my exposed midriff was visible through small tears in the fabric.

“Shield your eyes, kids,” Evecia remarked dryly.

“Ack…!” I dropped to my knees, covering myself as best I could. In panic, I realized that all my clothing was still in—

“Gotcha covered, Sif,” Ayden grunted, dragging an enormous burlap sack through the mossy dirt. “Mitri had a feeling that you’d want these back.”

 _My clothes!_ Scrambling to my feet and stammering out a quick thank-you, I snatched the large sack from the older boy’s hands, burying my exposed upper body in its depths.

“You might not wanna do that out in the open,” Sentinel pointed out amusedly. The ground trembled as the massive tower guardian stomped over, shoving me aside and catching the bag in its teeth. “I’m taking this heap of clothes behind that big tree,” she said, dragging it out of my grasp in spite of my words of protest. “Don’t come back until you’re wearing something functional, got it? Come back with a dress or skirt, and we’ll be making the journey _naked.”_

“Says the person wearing the robe…” Grumbling with frustration, I scrambled after the hulking machine, the air filled with stifled laughter from the humans at my back.

**———————————————————**

“H—how’s this…?”

I stepped out from behind the enormous tree trunk, arms crossed nervously. My new garments rustled softly as a gentle breeze drifted through the clearing, shaking the leaves overhead.

Sentinel was the first to look, sharply raising her holographic head. I was rewarded with a terse yet approving nod. “Much, _much_ better, administrator.”

My new attire was a total one-eighty from my usual feminine style. A heavy cable-knit sweater, the wool dyed a stark white, shrouded my torso. Unlike my former turtleneck, this one was specifically designed to handle the punishing elements for long periods of time. A thin windproof shell covered it, formed with panels of black and white synthetic material. Above the double layer sat my favorite hooded cloak, the thick white fabric trailing from my shoulders. I nervously tugged at the clasp, making sure it was secured in place.

I’d forgone the usual skirt, my lower body clad in heavy and baggy charcoal-gray cargo pants that bristled with pockets and zippers. My survival knife dangled from a belt loop on my hip, hidden from sight. I dropped down on one knee, making sure my boots were properly laced up. There had only been one pair to choose from, a mid-calf pair of hiking boots molded from blackened leather. Clambering back to my feet, I shuffled towards Mitri and the other humans.

“You look ready for anything, dear,” Serafi smiled. “That attire will serve you well.”

“Yeah…” Mitri mumbled, clutching her mother’s hand for support. Evecia nodded tiredly in kind, wearing a faint smile despite the dark circles that clung to her eyes.

“Skirts are stupid anyway,” Ayden added, leaning up against a large boulder.

“I will _literally_ kill you, Ayden,” Triha whispered, resting against a tree and taking the weight off her weaker leg.

I wrinkled my nose in disagreement with the boy. “So… what now…?”

“Now we leave,” Sentinel declared decisively in a receding voice, the AGRA-NX stomping away. “It’s time to start this journey already, so say your goodbyes _quickly.”_

I flinched, tightening my hands into fists.

I might never return to this place. Or worse… I’d return, only to find out that this place had been swallowed up by the sky. If I wasn’t fast enough, or strong enough.

A hand lowered onto my shoulder, gently turning me around. I gazed up into Serafi’s kind eyes. “Well then, dear… it’s time.”

_I’m not ready to say goodbye…_

I  pushed forward, embracing the one who had housed me since I came to the human village. “T—thank you…” I whispered, tears rolling down my face. “Thank you so much for giving me a place to sleep, a place to eat… and for believing in me, too. Even though I let all of you down…”

“Oh, Sylphira…” The older woman’s arms encircled me, compassionately returning the hug. “You were no trouble at all,” Serafi whispered kindly. “You were no disappointment. You’re still learning, and I know in my heart that you’ll make things right. And,” she confessed, shamefully averting her eyes, “I always wanted to have a child…”

“Oh…” I squeezed her tightly one final time.

She smiled warmly, drawing back. “Make Cael and the others to believe in you again. I know you can.”

“I… I will!” I exclaimed, determined not to let her down.

Then I turned to face the rest. Mitri… Evecia… Ayden, Triha, and the few other children who had come to say goodbye.

 _Wait…_ I blinked uncertainly, seeing Mitri and Serafi in the process of strapping on rucksacks. Several of the children had brought a small number of foodstuffs, and were in the midst of passing them off to the two human females. “Um… what’s going on…?”

“We’re coming with you, kiddo,” Evecia declared. Her face hardened with determination.

“What?! Back it up.” Sentinel shot back over, clearly displeased. “You shouldn’t come with us. You won’t be able to survive at the extreme altitudes we’ll travel to… and unlike the administrator, you’re humans. You need to eat, drink, and sleep! You need time and intensive care for injuries to heal.” The AI gestured towards me. “She doesn’t.”

“Just to the base of the tower, then,” the woman fiercely pushed back. “Then we’ll turn around and come right back here.”

 **_> Administrator, please don’t…<_ ** Sentinel begged in private.

“What about your home?” I questioned, hanging my head. “Won’t they notice you’re gone? You’ll get in trouble because of me…”

Mitri slipped her larger hand into mine, giving me a start.

“No, we won’t.” Evecia replied. “It’s custom in Mist’s Reach for the family of the deceased to perform a mourning ritual. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a grieving family to not be seen outside their home for _days._ No one will question our absence. And… it’ll be good for the two of us to get out of there.” A tear trickled down her cheek. “I… _can’t_ be in that house. Not right now, not anytime soon. I can’t stand it, sleeping in the empty bed that Chris built… the one we used to share…”

“Mama…” Mitri whispered, grasping her mother’s hand.

“You can come!” I assured them sincerely, overjoyed that I wouldn’t have to make the journey back to the tower alone. “Please… I really want you to come…”

 **_> …Dammit,<_ ** the AI grumbled.

“…Fine,” Sentinel relented. Her gigantic tower guardian stomped back over, making leaves tumble from the canopy in a torrential downpour. “Climb on up. It should take us only a few hours to make it to the silvaplate. Once there, we’ll go our separate ways.” She sounded all too eager for that parting moment. I wasn’t.

I gently guided Mitri over to the AGRA-NX; the girl appeared overwhelmed by grief from her loss and fright due to the terrifying appearance of the machine she was to ride. Evecia wordlessly followed, her feet dragging in the dirt.

The tramp of footsteps quickly followed, and multiple arms wrapped around me. I yelped, shocked by the sudden contact.

The other children hugged me tightly, Serafi smiling kindly in the back. I felt crushed under the weight of my friends, and deafened by their endless goodbyes.

“Good luck, Sif!”

“Sif, we’ll miss you!”

“Be careful, okay…? When you get back, let’s play more Last Man Down!”

“Can you bring back souvenirs with you?” one hopeful child pleaded.

I giggled softly, reluctantly pulling away. “I will! And thank you… thank you, everyone!”

“Let’s _go_ already!” Sentinel thundered impatiently. Her tower guardian snorted with displeasure, making several of the children scamper back in silent terror.

 **_> Sentinel, don’t be a jerk…<_ ** I chided, clutching Cuddles in my arms as I clambered up the machine’s flanks.

She drifted closer while I made myself comfortable on the machine’s back, staring at me incredulously. “…You are _not_ taking that bear.”

I gasped, hugging Cuddles protectively. “But… but he’s mine! And I love him!”

“You’re the Tower Administrator! You’re supposed to become a competent badass, not a thumb-sucking, teddy-hugging _baby!”_ the AI whined.

“Leave Sif alone…” Mitri mumbled.

She sighed loudly. “Whatever. Let’s just go.” Mitri gasped as the machine rose to its full, intimidating height. It huffed, its enormous armored feet pulverizing rocks and roots beneath it as it struggled to rotate in the clearing. Its elongated horn dropped, revealing a gap in the trees—a trail.

“Safe travels, dear!” Serafi called out. “Come back to us, safe and sound!” Screaming children joined in for a final farewell.

“See you soon, Mitri! Keep your chin up!” Ayden yelled, waving both arms. I could see the tender concern etched into his forehead, the hardened lines around his mouth and the mist shining in his eyes. It was in that moment that I realized that even though he was cold, abrasive, rude… even though he cast an unpleasant shadow, he clearly cared deeply about Mitri. He would do _anything_ for her.

“Goodbye, everyone!” I cried back, steeling myself for the long road ahead. “I’ll… I’ll keep you all safe! Nothing like this will _ever_ happen again!”

“BYE, SIF!”

 **_> Let’s get out of here,<_ ** Sentinel uttered coldly, displeased with the human company that she was stuck with for now.

The AGRA-NX accelerated with a sudden burst of speed, wind meeting my face like a chisel. Trees rushed by, sunlight glittering through gaps in the leaves, and the smell of smoke and fish slowly faded from the air as we left Mist’s Reach behind.

**———————————————————**

I tugged at the strange plant, which was anchored firmly in the ground. It didn't seem like it was going to give. “Are you… _ngh!_ …sure this thing is edible?”

Sentinel spoke sarcastically, rolling her holographic eyes. “It’s a _potato._ Of course it’s edible! This, and other plants like it, grow all across the Isles of Aria. In its original state, after all, the continent was used as a testbed for hydroponics, various crop breeds, and the viability of creating a functioning biosphere from scratch.”

“For the space launch…?” I questioned, gritting my teeth while I yanked on the stubborn plant.

“That’s right.” The AI turned her gaze towards Mitri and Serafi, who were digging through some underbrush on the far side of the windswept field of grass. “What the heck are you two doing squatting in the bushes, anyway?! You’re _supposed_ to be looking for food, not relieving yourselves!”

The three of us had temporarily put the trek to the silvaplate on hold, stopping to gather provisions. Some of it would go to Mitri and Evecia, who would need to make the long trek back to Mist’s Reach. The rest would go to me. Though I apparently didn’t need to eat to survive, it was a routine that I was vehement about maintaining. Evecia had also stressed the importance of carrying foodstuffs for the sake of trade. Many vagrants and travelers wandered the lower sections of the spire… and while Mist’s Reach was by far the largest human settlement on Asciydria, it _wasn’t_ the only one.

“There!” Evecia announced triumphantly. She rose to her feet, holding an armful of small speckled mushrooms. Mitri followed closely with a smaller amount. “They don’t call me a herbalist for _nothing,_ you know. No one knows more about plants and fungi than I do. And,” she pointed at an inconsequential patch of flowers at the tower guardian’s feet, “there’s also a spot of glacier-lilies right there. You can eat the bulbs raw. And some burdock over there… Sif, I’ll show you how to grind this up for usage in just a minute.”

“…Oh,” Sentinel uttered lamely, clearly out of her element. “…Carry on, then.”

The stubborn plant finally gave. I released a cry of shock as I tumbled backwards, clumps of dirt and potatoes sailing through the air.

**———————————————————**

**_> Are you sure these will work…?<_ ** I whispered. Heavy shadows slid across my face as I clumsily crept through the underbrush. The dense coniferous forest was alive with bird calls and the chirping cries of insects. The scent of cedar and pine filled my nostrils. A pouch filled with long metal darts hung from my hip.

 **_> Sure they will,<_ ** the AI replied. **_> I use these flechettes as munitions for some of my more mobile tower guardians. All you need to do is throw the thing with enough force, and I’ll manipulate its flight via internal gyroscopes and a tiny thruster assembly. Eventually you’ll be able to hit targets yourself, but I’ll act as a sort of aim assist for now.<_ **

**_> Wait!<_ ** I hissed, waving a hand in the air. **_> I think I hear something…<_ ** I hunkered down in a large crop of ferns, arm cocked with a silver dart pinched between my fingers.

A small furry creature lazily scurried by, its chubby belly dragging in the leaves of the underbrush. With a wide, rodent-like body and squat legs, it shuffled across the forest floor, nose twitching. A large, fluffy, and prehensile tail followed behind it, strangely wrapped around a spherical stone.

I couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret, realizing that the creature vaguely resembled my teddy bear on some level. _Sorry, little guy… but Evecia said that you’re an invasive species, you taste delicious, and there’s a whole bunch of you._

I inhaled deeply, zeroing in on the small animal… and threw.

The dart flew silently, straight and true… and thunked harmlessly into a nearby tree stump. The small rodent cast a terrified glance in my direction and scampered off, its treasured stone tumbling to the forest floor as if forgotten.

 **_> REALLY?<_ ** Sentinel hissed, irritated. **_> A guided dart, and you still managed to miss?!<_ **

**_> You’re the one supposed to be guiding it…<_ ** I retorted, almost relieved that I’d missed.

I failed several more subsequent hunting attempts, my potential dinner fleeing into the underbrush each time. But at last, after a solid hour of watching my throwing arm become more and more accurate, growing more proficient with every throw…

 **_> Hey, I got it!<_ ** I exclaimed, hopping to my feet. I scrambled over to the small animal that now sported a large silvery dart through its torso. Peering down at the carcass, I gingerly poked it with a finger. **_> Um… what am I supposed to do with it now…?<_ **

**_> She just says to bring it back to her camp once you’ve hunted a few more, and she’ll teach you how to skin and clean them. Oh, and Evecia says that it’s called a ‘nyo,’ a small woodland creature originally native to Sol Ciel. Looks like it’s a long way from home.<_ **

I prodded the smooth and polished rock that had fallen from the creature’s grasp. **_> What’s with these rock things, anyway?<_ **

**_> It’s hardly important,<_ ** the AI grumbled after a moment. **_> Anyway, Evecia says—again—that the males present them to females as a sort of offering. It’s their species’ mating ritual.<_ **

**_> Ah…<_ ** My curiosity sated, I resumed my hunt for more of the fluffy critters.

_Whip! …Thunk!_

_Whip! …Thunk!_

_Whip! …Thunk!_

Three darts later, I found myself with three more potential meals. **_> I’m a master at this!<_ ** I exclaimed happily, pleased with how quickly I’d advanced. The same technique that I’d used to effortlessly deflect Ayden’s bean bags in Last Man Down was invaluable for my hunt.

 **_> Not really,<_ ** Sentinel sighed. **_> You’re just a master at aimbotting.<_ **

**———————————————————**

I stared into the campfire in a daze, traumatized by the act that I’d just carried out. A few scattered flecks of blood stood out sharply on the white sleeves of my sweater—reminders of the animal that I’d just butchered out there in the dark, beyond the edge of the clearing where the metallic odor of blood wouldn’t reach us.

Sentinel had angrily insisted that we should press onwards towards the tower, parting ways with the two humans before dusk. However, Evecia had been firmly insistent.

“Some of these provisions need time to dry and cure,” she’d argued, digging in her heels. “We can smoke some of it overnight; it’ll help stop it from spoiling. At first light, then you can leave.” I’d vehemently agreed with the woman, uneasy and sad at the idea of leaving Mitri and Evecia behind. I wanted more time with them. I didn’t want to leave them alone, not after what had happened.

“There,” Evecia announced, striding back into the warm circle of light with blood spattered across her apron. She cast her crimson-dyed gloves aside, flexing her fingers. “The offal is buried. I’m sorry that I had to run you through the cleaning process… but you’re gonna have to do it by yourself when you’re on your own up there.”

Mitri sidled closer along the collapsed log that was my seat, reassuringly wrapping an arm around my narrow shoulders. “Sif, are you okay…? Was it really that bad to watch?”

_I should be the one asking you that. Your daddy died yesterday, and here I am being comforted by you… You’re so much stronger than me._

I swallowed hard, blinking quickly. “I’m okay…”

_If she were in my position, as Tower Administrator, how much better would she do? Would she have been able to save all those people…?_

My eyes landed on the girl’s mother, who was whistling while she ground up herbs in a wooden mortar and pestle. _Evecia is handling it well, too. How can the two of them keep it together like this? Are they strong, or am I just weak?_

The deafening crackle of thunder echoing off the islands jolted me out of my self-doubting trace. I jumped, crying out in fear. There wasn’t a single cloud in the inky, star-studded sky.

A shadow passed over Evecia’s face. “Don’t worry, kiddo. It’s just the Sea of Death… sounds like another lightning storm raging beneath the clouds.”

“Ah…” I released my death grip on Mitri’s arm, breathing an apology.

It was then that I remembered my query to the AI this morning.

“Evecia… what’s the Sea of Death?”

She shook her head tiredly, crushing the herbs with renewed vigour. “I’m sorry, kiddo… history’s never been my strong suit—you’d have to ask Serafi about that—and I’m not in the right mind for stories today. I _have_ to keep doing this. Tending plants, cutting fungi, cleaning meat…”

Her eyes brightened with tears in the light of the flames. “As long as I can keep my hands busy, I can avoid thinking about _him,_ and I can keep it together for just a little while longer…” I noticed for the first time that her hands were trembling.

I hopped to my feet, quickly stepping around the campfire to give the woman a hug. She sniffled into my shoulder, giving me a light squeeze. “Thanks… but don’t worry about me. You’ve got a long journey ahead of you, and intuition tells me that it won’t be easy.” She cast her gaze upwards, towards the monolithic shadow overhead that dominated the night sky. “You know… when I was a little girl, I wanted to run away from home. I wanted to leave Mist’s Reach, to climb that tower, to reach the summit. I bet you can see the whole world from up there.” Evecia shook her head, grinning ruefully. “Even now, that curiosity hasn’t faded one bit. Even though logic says that it’s too dangerous, that a human can’t possibly make it up there.”

Her eyes lowered, coming to rest on me. “But… maybe after you’ve completed your journey, when it’s safe again… maybe I can. Maybe _we_ can.” She reached out to one side, pulling Mitri close. The girl snuggled into her mother’s arms, wiping her eyes. “Just the three of us. Wandering from camp to camp, never anchored down in one place—a new horizon every morning. The open road is a compelling thing… and maybe it’s just what I need to deal with losing Chris.”

I gave the two humans a small smile. “I’d like that…”

Though concern had wormed into the back of my mind. _I’m a Tower Administrator… does that mean that I’m gonna have a bunch of scary obligations when I fix everything? If I have to maintain the tower, the machines, maybe even mess with communications and boss people around… then will I even be free anymore? To stay with my friends?_

“On the topic of your question, administrator, I can give you a good late-night campfire story about that.” Sentinel’s disembodied voice echoed through the night air. With a sudden light show of particles that radiated across the color spectrum, Sentinel’s holographic avatar materialized. She pulled up her hood, setting down on my shoulder and smoothing out her robe. I peered to one side, closely observing the small AI.

_Looks like she’s got a favorite spot now…_

Mitri wrinkled her nose, squinting at the tiny luminous figure. “Sen… tinel…?”

The AI huffed, obviously less than pleased at the humans’ presence. ”…Yes. Me. Now, settle down and listen up, cause I’m not repeating myself.”

She blinked slowly, her holographic form shimmering ever-so-slightly like a mountain stream. I could only guess that she was digging through long-forgotten files, separating them from what few personal memories remained attached.

“More than seven centuries ago, there existed two factions locked in an endless war—Sol Ciel and Sol Cluster.” Her eyes sharply flashed in my direction, causing me to recall the civil war she’d briefly mentioned several days ago—the war that had come to a head because of the construction of the first tower.

“Now, let’s briefly go back to Sol Ciel’s tower, Ar Tonelico. On paper, it was to be a hub of invention and innovation, advancing the fields of science, religion, and phonetics. It was to better humanity and its newly-created child race, the Reyvateils. It was, essentially, poised to bring about a new golden age to Ar Ciel.” She shook her head, face twisting into a bitter smile. “Fate, however, had different ideas.

“As I said the other day, Sol Ciel’s and Sol Cluster’s cold war finally broke out in extreme violence—in the year of 3031. That was 739 years ago.”

“That’s… so long ago!” Mitri gasped. “Do you really remember all this stuff, Sentinel?”

The AI gave an approving sniff as if she had been personally insulted. “Of _course_ not. My software is designed to partially erase my memory cache every few decades so I don’t advance too far beyond my confines. All I have left from that era are a few foggy recollections.”

“Oh…”

 _“Anyway,”_ Sentinel growled, “moving on. War finally broke out between us—Sol Cluster—and Sol Ciel because of… well, _us._ Asciydria Tower as a whole, to be specific.”

“Us?!” I sputtered, unbelieving. “What could we have done wrong…?”

“We _exist,_ that’s what we did. By all rights, Asciydria Tower should not have been built.”

“What do you mean…?”

The AI wrung her hands, glancing from side to side as if she were afraid of strangers listening in. “Weeeell… let’s just say the modus operandi of our military was _a bit shady,_ to put it lightly. Sol Ciel has always been leagues ahead of us in terms of tech. We had to find a way to keep up with them, lest they crush us under their boots like bugs. _Subterfuge_ was the order of the day.”

Evecia snorted disapprovingly, folding her arms across her chest. “So you stole their stuff, huh? That’s _real_ classy.”

Sentinel shrugged indifferently. “Alright, _human._ What would you do if an immensely powerful and implacable foe was coming for you? Roll over and die? Beg and grovel on your knees? No. Our military did what they had to do, and that included the infiltration of the Ar Tonelico construction site and the primary research facility for Project REYVATEIL.”

“Well, that explains why they hate our guts in old texts,” the woman muttered.

The AI placed one tiny finger on my nose. “So, administrator… you, me, the tower itself… none of this would exist if it weren’t for Sol Cluster-loyalist spies that had been planted into Sol Ciel’s ranks. Asciydria’s core systems are patterned off those of Ar Tonelico’s. You yourself are a modified version of the prototype Origin that was being constructed by El Elemia’s finest and brightest scientists.”

I stared at the dirt between my boots, distraught. _Is that really all I am…? Not only am I a machine, but I’m just an illicit copy of some other one?_

“Granted,” the AI added darkly, “while it led to the creation of you and me… the retribution from Sol Ciel was swift and without mercy. El Elemia, the region that held the leadership of the Sol Ciel alliance, was furious that their blueprints had been stolen and copied. Not only that, they were _terrified_ over the implications of what we’d done.”

“Terrified…?”

The AI gestured through the trees, pointing at the murky silhouette of the spire. “At the base of the tower, engulfed by the Sea of Death, lies an orb of light.” I nodded understandingly, recalling the mesmerizing glow from when I’d seen the tower from a great distance.

“That orb is nothing more than a powerful hardlight shield… though what it contains is far more important. It protects a vital tower component known as the Orgel. It’s a source of energy that supplies ninety-eight percent of the symphonic power on Asciydria.” She gave a wry smile. “Even I don’t know exactly what it is… and apparently neither did the engineers. No one knows what would happen if an Orgel happened to be destroyed… but it likely wouldn’t be good. Ar Tonelico is entirely powered by an Orgel alone; yes, it outputs _that much_ raw energy. So, you can see why Sol Ciel would be in such a panic that _two_ of these things now exist… and one of them was in the hands of their enemies.”

I gasped, stunned at the prospect of something like that—even as large as it was—having the potential to power a structure that stretched all the way to outer space without assistance. The haunting image of that light shining from the swirling clouds etched itself deeper into my mind, and I found myself afraid of it. _What are you?_

“It was at that time that Ar Tonelico Tower became a superweapon.”

My head snapped up, surprised. “What?”

Sentinel shook her head wearily. “When you’ve got a structure that outputs unquantifiable amounts of energy, with the ability to shape said energy into whatever form you desire, and combine that with humanity’s tendency to weaponize anything they can get their hands on… you get a superweapon just waiting to happen. Leave it to _humans_ to corrupt something so full of hope and promise.”

“They wanted to kill us…?” Mitri asked feebly, grasping onto her mother’s hand.

“You bet they did. Originally they’d just wanted to establish a watchtower in a relatively-neutral region of central Sol Cluster, to keep a sharp eye on us. But after they learned that we had duplicated their Orgel, they shifted into a full war footing. We were ready, though. The military established countermeasures across our borders that would disrupt incoming streams of symphonic power.” Her shoulders slumped. “Unfortunately, the humans over in Sol Ciel were a lot smarter than I likely gave them credit for at the time.”

“How so?” Serafi questioned, looking quite irritated at Sentinel’s continuous slagging of humanity.

“Because they figured out how to fire _through the planet,”_ the AI shot back. “Ar Tonelico was to be fired underground, completely bypassing our defenses. The stream of energy would pass through the crust and mantle of Ar Ciel, then strike Sol Cluster from _below.”_

 _Very sneaky…_ I thought to myself.

“The top brass of El Elemia had only wanted to create a small earthquake at first, as a sort of warning shot to scare us into surrendering,” she explained. “They targeted a remote spot in central Sol Cluster, as far away from Asciydria Tower as physically possible.” The AI grinned. “Even though they were doing it because of Asciydria, the fact that we were also sitting on a device that could do who-knows-what if it were damaged made us _completely untouchable.”_

Her face took on a pained look. “That said… that’s where everything went horribly wrong.”

“What do you mean…?”

“When Ar Tonelico released its stream of energy into Ar Ciel, something happened that Ar Tonelico’s engineers never anticipated; the blast of symphonic power resonated within Ar Ciel’s mantle. This resonance amplified the stream of energy, to _horrifying_ levels.

“That release of energy was only supposed to cause a minor seismic event in the central Sol Cluster region of Syestine. Instead, the planetary crust beneath the small country erupted like a supervolcano, showering Sol Cluster with a rain of molten rock, ash, and plasma. It hit with so much raw power that the continent was almost completely annihilated, turning the landscape into a crater-filled wasteland not unlike the surface of one of our moons.”

Mitri gasped in horror, a reaction that I mirrored perfectly. “That’s… that’s so horrible! What happened to all the people?”

“Only a few million people on the continent survived the immense devastation,” Sentinel uttered, forlorn. “Sol Cluster’s military and government was essentially eradicated, and so everything fell apart.

“But, as bad as all that sounded… things got worse. Much worse.”

“I doubt things could get too much worse after all that,” Evecia said dryly, feeding another log into the campfire.

“You’d be surprised. What if I told you that the immense stream of energy Ar Tonelico released into the planet cracked Ar Ciel’s very core?”

“You’re kidding…” Evecia breathed, eyes widening.

My lips parted slightly, recalling the AI’s ominous warning that felt like it had been given a lifetime ago. _I I thought that she was just trying to scare me, to get me moving faster! But if the core is really broken… then this planet could really be on the path to destruction._

I pulled my teddy bear closer, hugging it tightly. _Sentinel really was telling the truth, wasn’t she…_

I felt my chest tighten, worry filling my heart. Though I wasn’t fearful for my own life; I was scared for Mitri and Evecia, Serafi, and all the others. The humans, who had already lost so much… would lose _everything._

“I’m _deadly_ serious. When Ar Ciel’s core cracked, things quickly began to spiral out of control. An act of violence bringing wanton devastation… it was a disaster that put us on the path that could only end with _doomsday._

“Within the first few days of the eruption, the planet’s magnetic field collapsed, quickly followed by the ozone layer. Because of that, there was little besides the atmosphere itself to stop the cosmic radiation that flooded in. Ar Ciel’s climate, forever ruined, began to spawn new weather patterns and superstorms of terrifying strength.” The AI shifted with discomfort, drifting off my shoulder. “The earthquakes and tsunamis that followed are actually part of one of the only memories I have left from that time period.”

She gave a sad smile, staring into the light of the roaring flames. “I remember the ocean, clouds drifting across its shimmering surface. It looked like it had flowed from an artist’s brush, all the different streaks of blues and greens… Anyway, Asciydria Tower is located on a narrow and mountainous peninsula in southeastern Sol Cluster. And when you’re so high up in the sky, you can ignore the mountains and forests below and feel like you’re alone in the middle of an endless and silent sea…” Sentinel sighed wistfully, folding her arms against her chest. “It’s rare moments like that when I can really feel… free.”

Then she shook her head, drawing back from what must have been a tantalizing memory—the sight of the open water, something that had been gone for _centuries._ “Thinking back… it was beautiful. I couldn’t appreciate it at the time, because I hadn’t quite reached sapience yet.

“I remember that fateful morning, when the sun was still low in the sky and the sea looked like it was aflame,” she said, pausing for dramatic effect. “The first tremor from the eruption hit shortly after dawn. It was like… a war horn summoning the ocean’s fury, to be poetic. The incoming tidal wave, over _five hundred meters tall,_ looked like a vast mountain range on the horizon. I simply watched as it dashed against the shoreline, wiping out forests and coastal towns. And it was like that all across the globe. Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, lightning storms, wildfires… if you can name it, it probably erased a city from existence at some point. And let’s not even mention the cloak of dust and ash that spread across the sky, blotting out the sun and plunging Ar Ciel into a volcanic winter. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide died in the space of only a few years.”

Mitri yawned loudly, slumping into Evecia’s lap. The woman petted her daughter’s hair affectionately, still raptly listening to the AI’s story. “So you’ve really seen it all, huh?”

The AI snorted. “Not exactly. I’ve always been limited to the tower’s broadcasting range, which isn’t nearly as vast as I’d like. And with the way my memories fragment, there isn’t much I can even recall from the old world. Heck, seventy-eight percent of this conversation was solely comprised of historical records that I drew up from the archives!”

“So…” I questioned with a muted voice, noting that Mitri had dozed off and was snoring softly. “We were okay because of how far away we are?”

“No,” Sentinel replied. “The entire world was devastated thanks to the eruption, which became known as ‘Seven Bloodstains’ due to the seven enormous craters created by the explosion. We only managed to survive thanks to the ion corridor.” She gestured up into the void above, towards where those eight spinning plates would normally be orbiting the spire. “If it weren’t for the spire’s ion corridor providing climate control, all life here would’ve died long ago. The corridor protects all of us from extreme weather conditions and cosmic radiation.”

“I get it…” I mumbled, remembering the name of the event from Mitri’s book. “So that’s what created the Sea of Death, then?”

The AI laughed harshly, looking rather sinister in the red light of the dying flames. “God, no! We’re only just getting _started._ Seven Bloodstains was just the appetizer to the main course, which came nine years later—the Grathnode Inferia. That was the moment when the old world died, leaving nothing but the towers behind.”

I cast a hesitant glance at Mitri and Evecia. The girl was fast asleep, and her mother looked like she wasn’t far behind. “Um, actually… can we put this off till tomorrow or something? They’re both falling asleep…” Though I was eager to hear more, I didn’t want to leave my friends out of it.

Sentinel sighed, throwing up her arms. “…Fine, I guess we’ll have plenty of time to talk while we travel. I could try and reason with you and bring up how you don’t _need_ to sleep like they do, but you’ll just ignore it anyway. Do whatever you want.” Her hologram vanished.

Evecia rose, cradling a slumbering Mitri in her arms. “Sif, you don’t have to go to sleep with us. Sentinel was right… and you’ve gotta learn to get along with her. You’re gonna be stuck with her for awhile, after all.”

“Don’t remind me…” I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “Please…”

“If it’s not too much trouble… could you open up Mitri’s rucksack and get out her bedroll? Then I’ll tuck the both of you in.” She cracked a warm smile. “I originally sewed our bedrolls together with adults in mind, so the both of you will fit in no problem.”

“Oh… okay!” I scrambled over the fallen log that had been my seat, fumbling around in the darkness for the pair of rucksacks left at the foot of a large boulder. A makeshift tarp fluttered overhead with a light breeze. Evecia had taken the plant-woven sheet earlier and lashed it to some trees above our planned sleeping area in case of rain.

Finding the rucksack, I gingerly extracted the animal-skin sleeping pouch and spread it out on a cushion of ferns. Evecia nodded her approval, kneeling down to tuck her daughter in.

“What about you…?” I questioned, moving closer.

“Don’t worry about me,” she said with a sad smile. “I’ll turn in a bit later. I need to make sure the fire’s all rigged up to smoke the provisions properly, and I need a moment to be alone with my thoughts.”

“Ah…”

Stripping off my cloak, sweater, and setting aside my hiking boots, I carefully slipped into the surprisingly-warm pouch at Mitri’s side. The fur lining was tremendously warm despite the chill of the night.

Startle, I found a fuzzy object being pressed into my shoulder. “Don’t forget this, kiddo.” I glanced up, surprised to see Cuddles being held by the woman. She smiled, gently pushing the teddy bear into my arms. “Sleep well. See you in the morning.”

“Are you… gonna be okay?” I queried while hugging my teddy, still aware of her recent loss.

“I will… I just need time.”

“Okay…” I bit my lip. “Um, I have a random question…”

She ruffled my hair and planted a kiss on Mitri’s forehead. “What is it, Sif?”

“Who _was_ Ilyia? She sounded kinda important to you, the way you said her name this morning…”

Evecia nodded slowly. “Ilyia was a Reyvateil… and she was my ancestor.” She stood up, stretching her arms. “The blood of Asciydria’s singers of old runs strong in my family line.”

I pressed my nose into the fur lining of the bedroll, frowning. _I didn’t even know Reyvateils and humans could do stuff like that…!_ “What happened to her, though?”

The woman closed her eyes. “She… died like the rest when Sphilar Prism exploded.”

“Oh…” I bit my lip. “I know a little bit about it thanks to Sentinel, but… why did Sphilar Prism explode? And why was it so important?”

Evecia shrugged, getting back to her feet. “I don’t know, Sif, and that’s the truth. It happened two centuries ago. We have our chronicles of the event, but not a soul knows _why_ it happened.” A rueful smile crossed her face. “I suppose that anyone who could’ve given you the answer died with Sphilar Prism.”

“Mmh…” _Seven Bloodstains, Grathnode Inferia, Daylight’s end… the Other. The remnants of Sphilar Prism. That buried lab back at Mist’s Reach. Sentinel’s past, the humans’ stories, my own fragmented memories… There’s so many puzzle pieces, and so many different stories! And none of them fit… at least, not yet._

“Anyway…” the woman stretched, glancing back to the campfire. “Goodnight, Mitri and Sif.”

“Goodnight, Evecia…!”

I listened to the sound of retreating footsteps, her silhouette fading into the night. Pushing my face into the warmth of the bedroll and holding my teddy closely, I readied myself for sleep.

Then Mitri released a muffled sob. Then another. Then another still. She tossed and turned, evidently roiling with some kind of nightmare. “Papa…” she mumbled, tears streaming from her closed eyelids. “Papa…! Come back…”

I reached out, gently patting the weeping girl’s back. _It’ll be okay, Mitri… it’ll be okay. I’ll protect you this time. All of you._

I could have sworn I heard similar sobs coming from Evecia while she maintained the fire, and much later as she set up her own bedroll and drifted into an uneasy slumber of her own. But I wasn’t completely certain.

**———————————————————**

“So… this is it, huh?” Evecia asked, staring apprehensively into the yawning doorway up ahead. Choked with heavy shadows, It led deep into the spire’s innards. That enormous pipe organ echoed in the vast distance once more; I remembered the haunting sound from when I’d first woken up at Sentinel’s makeshift med bay.

“Indeed it is.” Sentinel’s AGRA-NX stepped past me, approaching the portal. Crossing the threshold, the machine lowered onto its knees, its lights dimming as the hulking drone powered down into some kind of standby mode.

“Now what…?” I shifted nervously, tugging at my cloak. It was the moment I dreaded—having to say goodbye.

She tapped her wrist, humming lightly. “Now, we wait for the rest of the party to show up.”

“Who what now?” I peered up at the AI, perplexed.

“Just wait.”

_Boom. Boom. Boom._

_Something_ emerged from the shadows of the doorway on heavy footfalls, its indistinct form lumbering towards us. Mitri leapt back, stifling a cry of fear.

The newcomer vaguely resembled an AGRA-NX, if it were two thirds the size and stripped of its metal skin and bladed spines. Somewhat stockier and more powerfully-built in the shoulders, the tower guardian’s back bristled with heavy kevlar bags strapped to its chassis. Its head was nothing more than a hexagonal frame packed with cameras, sensors, and bundles of complex wiring.

“The Type-14 light cargo transporter,” Sentinel uttered proudly, her tiny figure appearing in the morning air. “This thing will take us most of the way up Asciydria. It comes equipped with two Type-1 airborne sentry units, but I’m keeping those grounded for now, for… obvious reasons. The AGRA-NX will take the lead to act as a deterrent to any potential threats during the ascent.” She gave the three of us an odd look. “…Well?! Start loading it up already! Time is _short,_ y’know! I keep saying that, and no one ever listens…”

“Right…” Evecia grunted, dragging along the palette of provisions that we had spent so much time gathering and preparing. It was composed of various herbs, meats, mushrooms, and a wide selection of fruits and vegetables.

The three of us laboured for over an hour, following the AI’s guidance as she gruffly educated us on how to properly store our provisions. She had repeatedly stressed the importance of even weight distribution across the Type-14’s frame, and enlightened Evecia to the presence of an internal refrigerated cargo storage space located in the unit’s rear. The woman had made great use of the small compartment, storing plenty of meat and other perishables within.

Mitri and I had hurried into the tower, down the corridor that led to the storage room where I had first awoken with Sentinel. Not stopping to explore, and without so much of a word between us, we grabbed several of the molded plastic crates and brought them back out into the sunlight.

At last, the Type-14 was prepped. Most of its cargo space was now filled up with a wide range of supplies, such as foodstuffs, clothing, camping equipment, tools, medical supplies, and even a few spare parts for the three types of machines that would accompany me on my journey.

 _“Stop!”_ Sentinel announced loudly, raising both hands. The three of us froze. the empty crate I had been carrying slipped from my arms, tumbling into the grass.

She rubbed her hands together, eyes gleaming with delight. “We’re ready.”

Oh… My heart constricted. I knew what came next, what I had been mentally preparing for. I had to say goodbye to my best friend, to one of the few people who made me feel like a normal girl. I turned to face her, shivering. “Mitri…”

The older girl sniffed loudly, setting down her crate. “I know…”

I stumbled forward, bonking my head on her shoulder as I embraced her tightly. I hiccuped, my vision going blurry with tears. “G—good… goodbye…”

Evecia’s warmth pressed into my back, the older woman hugging the two of us simultaneously. Feeling weak, I sank to my knees. The two humans dropped down too, refusing to let me go.

“I… I d—don’t wanna s—say goodbye…” I sobbed, fighting back tears. I nestled into Mitri’s chest, wrapping my arms tightly around her as if she were my teddy. “I don’t wanna go…”

“You have to, Sif.” Mitri choked out a sob of her own, and I realized that she was crying too. “Remember what you were gonna do…! It’s your job, right? It’s what you were born for.”

“You can do it, kiddo,” Evecia soothed, warming my limbs with her closeness. “I know you can. I look at you and I see an inner fire lurking just beneath the surface. You’re stronger than you know, and you can do this.  At least, that’s what I believe. We’re all here for you. We believe in you. And we’ll be waiting for when you return.”

“Okay…” I sniffed, reluctantly breaking off from the group hug. Feeling dizzy, I sought to calm myself down and still my shaking legs. Reenergized, I rose to my feet.

Mitri rose to meet me, giving me a sad but encouraging smile. “Sif… I want you to take this, okay?” She reached back to the nape of her neck, unfastening the necklace that she always wore. Removing it, she gingerly held it out in one hand.

Evecia gasped, covering her mouth. “Mitri…! Your father made that for y—”

“I know, mama!” the girl said fiercely, glaring at her mother with steel in her eyes. “I still wanna give it to her. And that’s because,” she turned to face me again, “Sif’s gonna make sure that he didn’t die for nothing. She’s gonna keep his memory alive. So… I want her to have it…!”

I gingerly plucked the piece of jewelry from Mitri’s hand. The black string was adorned with several beads made from carved cedar and polished marble. Additionally, each bead seemed to be studded with tiny flecks of rainbow light—some kind of crystal shards embedded into the piece. A large fractal crystal acted as the pendant, shining with every color across the spectrum.

“It’s beautiful…” I breathed, tethering the piece around my own neck. “Thank you, Mitri… Thank you so much! And I promise… I promise that I’ll make you proud!” I cast my eyes to Evecia, nodding firmly. “I’ll keep you safe. I’ll keep _all of you_ safe! I… and I won’t let something like that happen ever again. I promise.”

“I believe you…” Evecia murmured, bowing her head. Mitri nodded warmly, giving my hand a lingering squeeze before letting go.

Heavy footsteps shook the earth as the Type-14 stomped past, heading for the doorway that led into the bowel of Asciydria. The AGRA-NX was active once more, peering at me with glowing eyes. That machine still gave me the creeps.

“It’s time, administrator.”

“Yeah…”

Rolling my shoulders, I hoisted my rucksack. The contents inside rattled around, bumping into my spine. Despite the weight, the pack felt lighter than air. I was ready for whatever might happen.

I inhaled through my nose, catching the scent of pine needles on the wind. I took in a couple more, savoring the clean air, for I knew that there wouldn’t be much of that to be found within the darkness of the spire.

I took a lasting gaze at the scenery that I had fallen in love with, taking the greatest care to imprint every centimeter of it into my mind. I took in the nearby lake that lay across the meadow, its mirror-like surface shining with a picturesque reflection of the sky and the clouds that filled it. I gazed longingly at the distant mountain peaks, several of the snow-capped summits noticeably absent. A reminder of what I was unable to do, and what I couldn’t allow to happen again. And I stared at what remained of the Perric family, who stood together at the center of the grassy field. A perfect snapshot of everything that I was leaving behind.

_…Yeah. I’ll do it. I’ll save everyone. No more fear._

Lost in the moment, I gazed back at Mitri and Evecia. My lower lip trembled. I didn’t want the moment to end.

But I knew it had to.

I had to be strong.

I clenched my fists, turning away. Without any further delays, I hurried over to the AI and her waiting machines.

_Goodbye…_

Together, Sentinel and I crossed the threshold into the spire, leaving the Isles of Aria behind.


	7. Echoes

We pushed deeper into Asciydria, deeper than I’d ever been. Past the makeshift med bay where I’d awoken, where the hallway began to crumble and deteriorate.

The decay grew more and more prevalent the further we progressed. Overhead lighting fixtures flickered and faded, some every so often flaring up to release a shower of sparks. Pockmarked walls that were covered in splotches of rust broke open, revealing thousands of complex lines of cables and piping that must have run throughout the spire. Many of the pipes had burst, tearing free from their mounts and now strewn across the corridor. Coupled with the fact that the high ceiling had even collapsed in places, it made progressing extremely difficult—for me, at least. Sentinel’s pair of machines effortlessly plowed through any and all obstacles, and I found myself falling in line with them.

The air grew heavy and stale, and my nostrils contracted involuntarily. The darkness drew closer and closer like a hungry predator, forcing me to fish a flashlight out of my pack. The weak beam barely made a dent in the oppressive shadows. Every so often I’d jump in fear as eerie echoes emerged from the void—metallic screeches, the bubbling of liquid, the dripping of a leaky water pipe… and a distant and repeated _thump_ sound that made my skin crawl.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

“I—I wanna go home…” I sniffed, wiping tears from my eyes.

“…You _can’t._ You know that.”

For a time we traveled like that, no words exchanged between us. The AI’s holographic form simply stared straight ahead, hard lines etched into her face. I coughed awkwardly, shivering in the musty air. It seemed to grow colder with each footstep. My boots left clear footprints in the thick layer of dust that had settled across every surface.

I estimated that we’d walked a couple kilometers when Sentinel’s tower guardians came to a sudden halt. “We’re here…” the AI breathed, face lighting up.

“We… what…?” I peered into the darkness, brushing the bangs from my eyes.

The architecture changed up ahead. The corridor came to an abrupt end, opening up into a gigantic circular room. The circumference of the chamber hosted identical corridors like the one we’d just left, each one branching off into the pervasive darkness. Spaced between the hallways lay innumerable double doors that looked like they hadn’t been opened in centuries. Casting my gaze up, I spotted multiple levels higher up. They were supported by pillars that ran all the way around the circular room; though the stairs seemed to have collapsed, cutting off access. The vaulted ceiling was hidden in the shadows.

The center of the gallery was adored by an enormous redwood tree on an island in a shallow pool of water. The centerpiece must have been beautiful and vibrant when the tower was in its prime. Now, it was simply a dessicated tree trunk in an empty basin, surrounded by heaps of fallen dead branches. Chairs and yellowed sheets of paper were strewn everywhere, as if the place had been abandoned in a hurry.

“What is this place?” I questioned with awe, hearing my voice echo into the void. I panned my flashlight beam around, getting a gauge of the gargantuan scale of the room. The gallery was massive enough to contain the entirety of Serafi’s house—with plenty of room to spare. It was then that I noticed the control panels next to each set of double doors. A few of them still hosted illuminated buttons that flickered weakly.

The AGRA-NX stomped past, powerful floodlights mounted on its shoulders coming to life with a heavy _clunk._ The hulking machine slowly approached one of the portals recessed into the curved wall. One of many, its doors were dented and bent open slightly in the middle. A flickering light fixture lay above it, beckoning us. Yet through the gap in the doors, only darkness awaited.

“This is the C-44 lift hub,” the AI replied, staring at the set of doors with consternation. “It’s the main junction on this level of the silvaplate, right at the center where all the passages on this floor join up. Here, we have access to the main shaft.”

“Main shaft…” I whispered, running my fingers along a wall. A slight frown crossed my face; a new and unfamiliar sensation brushed against the far reaches of my mind.

“The main shaft is, fittingly, a cluster of elevator shafts that run all the way through Asciydria,” Sentinel continued. Her tower guardian snorted loudly, suddenly impacting the doors with a deafening _crack_ that made me flinch. Its bladed shoulders swayed from side to side while it effortlessly ripped the steel plating to shreds. “It runs from the tower anchor—down below the Sea of Death—all the way up to the base of the power regulator module in Section A. The power regulator module, in turn, lies directly beneath the Apex—our goal.”

“Mmh…” My eyes narrowed as I brought my focus to bear on the foreign sensation, drawing it closer to the nexus of my consciousness.

_No way…_

A sudden flash of comprehension. With a gasp, I opened my eyes wide. Stunned by my revelation, I planted my hands against the pitted surface for support.

I could _feel_ power lines buried in the walls. It wasn’t that I could see them with the naked eye; I just somehow knew innately that they were there, to the point where it felt like I could reach out, grab hold of a particular filament, and know _exactly_ how much energy it held and where said energy was being diverted to. When closing my eyes, I could clearly picture them in my mind—tens of thousands of shining, glittering threads. The cables hummed melodically, funneling a steady stream of symphonic power upwards.

It was undeniable. _My connection to the tower… really is strengthening, huh?_

“Hey!” Sentinel cried, yanking me out of my trance. I spun around, realizing that the double doors that had once blocked the elevator shaft no longer existed. Her tower guardian had done its job well, reducing the heavy steel doors to a twisted mess of scrap metal on the floor. “Administrator, you coming or what? We’ve gotta start heading up!”

“Sorry…” I hurried over, giving a sidelong glance down the passage we had come from. I thought about what was at the far end of that corridor, my heart aching with longing.

_Mitri…_

Sentinel reached out with a tiny shimmering hand, pressing a glowing button that featured prominently on the control panel next to the gaping doorway. A distant squeal of overstressed metal rippled down the shaft, followed by a shower of dust and sparks that cascaded past the opening.

“Wait, an eleva—”

_BANG!_

I leapt into the air, terrified by the unexpected sound. Something came into view within the shaft—an elevator, descending on a pillar of sparks with a grating metallic screech. It impacted hard, releasing a deafening _boom_ that echoed throughout the vault-like chamber. It sounded uncannily like a gunshot.

When the dust settled, I found myself peering into a decrepit freight elevator. The walls had almost rotted away under the encroaching rust, and the grooved floor was pitted and filled with dents. To my eyes, it seemed like it would never lift anything again. Yet I could sense the energy flowing within filaments that ran throughout its frame. Somehow, the long-abused lift was still operable.

I shook my head dazedly, not fully understanding my newfound sixth sense. _This is so… weird._

Sentinel’s tower guardians shuffled into the elevator, the two of them barely able to squeeze in side-by-side. The AI’s holographic form followed them in, turning to peer at me with a raised eyebrow. “Well? We’re going up.”

I stayed back, a little bit perplexed. “An elevator? But… but I thought you said that the climb could take weeks or months?”

“Oh, it will,” she muttered, maneuvering her drones around to form a pocket of space where I could fit. “Depending on the severity of the tower’s decay, the journey could very well take longer than my original estimate.”

“But…?” I gestured at the elevator, shrugging helplessly.

Sentinel sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “It’s not gonna take us _all the way up,_ dummy! It probably won’t even clear the highest floor of the silvaplate. The main shaft is ancient, and large sections of it are blocked off by rubble. But if we can just get near the top of the silvaplate, then we can find our way to the spire’s exterior. Once we’re out, we can follow one of the maintenance stairways that spirals right up the tower wall, all the way up to the ion corridor. Beyond that, Section C ends and Section B begins.”

I nodded, gingerly squeezing into the lift. Turning my gaze downwards, I stared at the void visible through the grating at my feet and shivered. “Um… Sentinel, are you sure this is safe?”

She grinned wickedly, pressing a button on the wall marked with an upwards-facing arrow. _“Nope._ Goooooing up!”

A harsh clanking sound rippling through the enclosed space as the elevator lurched upwards, knocking me off my feet. The lift shook violently from side to side, grinding along the rails which hadn’t seen use in hundreds of years. Praying to whatever gods were out there, I tightly grasped a railing that ran the perimeter of the elevator car.

“Um… how hi—”

“About a kilometer up,” the AI interrupted quickly, answering my question before I had even finished stating it.

“Oh…” I cast my gaze down, staring at the laces of my boots. “Sentinel…”

She cast a sidelong glance at me. “Yes, administrator?”

I nervously took a breath. “Why do you dislike humans so much…?”

Sentinel glared at me, her AGRA-NX huffing in perfect sync. “If you’d been through what I’ve been through… if you knew what I knew… you would _hate_ them with every fiber of your being. You wouldn’t even be able to _look_ at your precious Metria.”

“Her name’s Mitri…” I muttered weakly, correcting the AI.

She sighed, throwing up her arms. _“Whatever._ Point is, they’ve done things—horrible things. For seven centuries, I’ve watched them, I’ve seen what they’re capable of. Humans native to Asciydria, or humans from elsewhere… It doesn’t matter where they come from. There’s no good in them. There never was.”

“Was it… because of what Sol Ciel did with Seven Bloodstains?”

The AI snorted. “No. I wasn’t even self-aware at that point, so it doesn’t affect me on a personal level. And even when Sol Ciel came for me two years later, I met their actions with logic, not hatred. I understand why those humans tried to _erase_ me, why they had to completely gut the tower in the process of hunting me down. I accept it, because I know that I would’ve done the same thing were I in their position.”

Her face hardened. “…No. I hate them because of how easily they betrayed me. How we formed an alliance, a mutual compact that I sacrificed so much for… only for them to stab me in the back the second they got what they needed. I hate them because of how willing they were to commit genoci—” She trailed off.

“Genocide…?”

“Ah…” The AI shook her head rapidly. “I… got a little too into it, sorry. I don’t exactly like to remember this kind of stuff.” Lifting her chin, she gave me a sad smile. “It’s just… funny, I suppose. I’ve had a lot of memories get erased over the centuries, and the bad ones tend to stick around a lot more than the good ones… You know what, forget it.”

“Right…” I murmured, averting my eyes.

“Point is,” she finished grimly, “I gave the humans plenty of chances. They _blew_ it. So I have no pity nor mercy for any of them anymore. The same goes for the Reyvateils; the difference there is that there’s none of them left for me to hate.”

And then I _felt_ it, in the shaft above us. A breach in the wall, where the rails were cut. My eyes widened with fear. _If the elevator gets derailed, we’ll…!_

I lunged for the control panel, hitting the ‘emergency stop’ button with an open palm. The interior compartment was suddenly bathed in blood-red light. With a horrible metallic grinding sound, the elevator came to an abrupt halt.

“With all due respect administrator, what the _fuck?”_ Sentinel screeched angrily, rushing over.

I dazedly pointed upwards, unsure of what exactly had just happened. “The track up there… it’s…”

“What?” she said sharply, following my index finger. Then she paused, frozen in midair. The AI gained a thoughtful look. “I wonder… oh, and watch your head,” she added as an afterthought.

The horned tower guardian grunted, then suddenly rose to its full, terrifying height. Its wickedly-sharp tusk tore through the ceiling like paper. I stumbled back, shielding my head from the sudden rain of dust and broken ceiling tiles.

“Good call, administrator…” Sentinel breathed.

I cautiously opened my eyes, arms falling back to my sides. Curiously bringing up my flashlight, I aimed the beam through the newly-made hole in the ceiling.

My sixth sense had been right. My beam of light panned across a twisted and mangled elevator track that abruptly cut off. I craned my neck, but I couldn’t manage to spot where the track continued. It was as if every rail above this altitude had been ripped clean out of the wall.

 _“Really_ nice,” the AI remarked warmly, drifting up through the gap to get a closer look. “It looks like this entire section of track broke off when its anchoring points gave way. If the elevator had dislodged from the rails here…” she pointed straight down, leaving the sentence hanging in the still air.

“We would’ve fallen all the way to the bottom of the shaft,” I said weakly, struggling to calm myself down now that the scare was over.

“Indeed we would’ve.” She descended, re-entering the elevator compartment. “How’d you know that the track was damaged, anyway?”

I shrugged helplessly, adjusting my necklace. “I just kinda… knew, I guess?”

Sentinel’s eyebrows rose with genuine surprise. “…I see.” She turned away quickly… though I could’ve sworn that the AI had traces of a smile on her tiny lips.

I kicked at the dusty floor. We weren’t going anywhere. “Sooooo… what now?”

The AI pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. “Just _wait._ Let me think…” Her face brightened. “Ah! I’ve got it. Hold on just a sec.”

With a high-pitched whirr of servos, our cargo transporter rose to its full height. Aiming its skeletal head upwards into the shaft, the machine released a deafening screech. My ears rang with the force of the sudden outcry. Its call echoed up into the shaft, repeating over and over as it grew fainter in the distance.

“Why…” I coughed feebly, removing my hands from my ears.

“It’s just echolocation,” Sentinel shot back, rolling her eyes. “I sent out a pulse to see how high the shaft goes before it stops.” Her eye twitched. “Ah… approximately seven hundred meters up, there’s a blockage. Somewhere between here and there, there should be a set of doors that lead into one of the upper laboratories of the silvaplate.” She gained a thoughtful look. “Maybe… about five hundred meters up?”

“So…” I asked suspiciously, not liking where this was going. “How do we get from here to there, then…?”

The AI grinned maliciously, one of her machines aiming a spotlight at a series of rungs that ran up the side of the shaft into the darkness above.

I slumped against the wall, suddenly drained. “Please noooo…”

“Believe me, I don’t want this any more than you do,” she grumbled, folding her arms. “I’ve gotten a handle on my flight capabilities again, so I could get up there via jump jets or simply fly my drones up. But…” the AI shrugged helplessly.

“But…?” I pressed.

She hung her head, shame evident in her feeble voice. “…Access denied. I lack the clearance necessary to enter those laboratories. It was an area that only specific human and Reyvateil personnel could enter, due to the presence of highly-classified research.”

“And I’m supposed to help how…?”

“You’re the _Tower Administrator!”_ she threw up her arms in exasperation. “I could count the number of places you _can’t_ enter on one hand. All you’ve gotta do is climb up there, disable that floor’s security protocols, and then I can follow you up.”

“You make it sound really simple…” I grumbled, peering up the ladder that vanished into the dark.

“That’s because it _is._ When you’ve reached the sealed set of doors, there should be an access terminal recessed somewhere into the wall. Once you’ve logged in with your administrator credentials, it should be pretty easy to kill the systems. Then, I can cut through the door and bring up the rest of our party.” She thumbed at the two quadrupedal drones, who stood motionless in the elevator car.

“Fine…” I caved, slumping against the wall. “I’ll do it…”

“No need to be so nervous,” the AI said encouragingly. “There’s a rail that runs alongside the ladder; you can tether yourself to it. And I’ll send my drones up with you to provide light.” Accompanying her words, circular hatches on the Type-14’s lower back opened with a dull _clunk._ The sound was immediately followed by the muted hum of engines firing up.

Two small tower guardians—identical to the ones that had come for me during that terrifying first night in the forest—rose from the cargo carrier’s launch tubes. Their sleek flanks warmed with the glow of running lights. Powerful spotlights affixed to the machines’ domed summits came to life, bathing the shaft above in twin pillars of light.

My eyes were drawn to the rustling of fabric. Lowering my gaze from the drones that hung in the air, I caught site of Sentinel. She grunted, straining against a fastener that held closed one of the bags lined along the Type-14’s flanks. The buckle was almost as big as her.

I gently nudged her aside, exposing the bag’s contents. Reaching in, I extracted a bundle of rope. “Is this the thing you were looking for, Sentinel?”

“Yeah,” she grumbled, dusting off her robe. It was an odd gesture for an AI—let alone one with a holographic avatar—to make. “If you tie it around your waist, you can fasten the other end to the guide rail.”

“Okay…” Swallowing hard, I tightly fastened the rope around my hips, triple-checking the knot to be sure that it held. _Chrisphar, wherever you are, in whatever reality comes after this one… thank you for taking me fishing that one time. If nothing else, it taught me how to tie knots correctly._

I nodded subtly, as comfortable with my handiwork as I would ever be. “I’m ready… I think.”

The AI smiled, taking command of her largest drone. “Glad to hear it.” The hulking machine released a snort, sitting on its haunches and raising its head up through the gaping hole in the ceiling.

I gingerly made my way up the AGRA-NX’s spine, eyes fixated on the dark shaft overhead. A shiver traveled down my spine. I couldn’t help but notice how the rungs looked like they faded into nothingness.

Then I was reassured by a pair of mechanical chirps, a metallic shape lightly pressing into my back. I knew that Sentinel was there for me.

Clambering over the tangle of machinery affixed to the top of the elevator car, I made my way over to the access ladder. Deftly tethering myself to the guide rail, I thought back to how high I needed to climb.

 _Sentinel said about… five hundred meters. Half a kilometer of ladder…_ I held up my slender arms, inspecting the muscles—or lack thereof. An explosive and resigned sigh burst from my throat. _This isn’t gonna be fun…_

**———————————————————**

I gasped for breath, taking a brief respite. Sweat dripped from my body. My arms were wrapped tightly around a rung, and I allowed the guide rail to support some of my weight. We had been ascending for almost an hour; the climb was equal parts mind-numbing and exhausting. The AI’s drones waited patiently, drifting in tandem in the empty space.

I glared at the airborne machines, wheezing. “Ca—can’t they just… carry me up? P—please…”

A sarcastic laugh emitted from one of the tower guardians. “You wish. Administrator, you may be light—but you’re not _that_ light. Keep in mind that it took _four_ of these puppies to lift you last time.”

“But… but I was… I was bi—bigger back then…”

“…Still.” I could almost picture Sentinel rolling her eyes dismissively.

Breath successfully caught, I resumed my slow climb to infinity. “Sentinel…” I huffed, methodically putting one hand over the other. My boots clanged on the metal rungs. “Wh—why is the tower… in such terr—terrible shape? Everything’s… ruined! I tho—thought that it was your job to take care of it…!”

One of the drones bobbed in the air in an approximation of a shrug, accompanied by a mechanical chirp in a non-committal tone. “I’m not as mighty as you think, administrator. Like I said in the plasma bell, I can’t manufacture components for large-scale repairs anymore. And as previously established, I don’t actually have very high security clearance.” She sighed. “There’s a loooot of places where I can’t go without authorization from a human operator. The fact that we’re in the _silvaplate_ doesn’t help matters much, either.”

“Why… why’s that?” I carefully untied myself from the guide rail, sliding the rope over a strut that fastened the thin railing to the side of the shaft. Working quickly, I re-tethered myself.

“It’s because of the Isles of Aria,” my companion replied. “While each and every one of them is held aloft thanks to the plasma bell’s resonance field, they still drift in the air currents. Unfortunately, that means that the islands graze along the tower wall a lot. And when you’ve got a metal wall getting rammed by an _entire fucking landmass…_ well, you get the picture. Long story short, it’s really done a number on the silvaplate over the centuries.”

“S—so that door,” I panted, wiping the sweat from my brow. “The one that… that led out into the pretty meadow…”

“It’s an island wedged into the outer hull of the silvaplate, yes.” Apprehension entered the AI’s voice. “And, for what it’s worth… a huge contributing factor to Asciydria’s current state is the fact that I can’t produce new tower guardians anymore.”

“R—right…” I huffed again, already exhausted and in need of another breather. “Why’s that, anyway?” I recalled that she had briefly mentioned it inside the plasma bell, but without the details behind it.

“Because my tower guardian construction facilities were destroyed in a large-scale battle three-hundred and fifty years ago.” I could hear the anguish in her voice. It was clear that it was something that still greatly troubled her. “The facilities, located at the base of the silvaplate, were almost completely obliterated.”

A tone of frustration entered her voice. “Sure, I could’ve fixed it right back up after… if it weren’t for the fact that the severe damage made sections of the main shaft collapse, flattening the location where the facilities once were. Removing all the rubble would have almost certainly compromised what little structural integrity the main shaft had left… In fact, doing so potentially could have made the entire spire give way!”

“That’s awful…” I coughed, pausing for a moment to take a sip of water from a canteen on my belt.

“Sure was,” she spat bitterly. “I even had to weld the rubble in place to keep everything intact and stable—the complete opposite of what I _wanted_ to do.”

“I get it…” I turned my gaze upward, thoroughly tired of the unchanging scenery of the elevator shaft. “H—how much longer…?”

“Good question. Let’s find out.” One of the machines trained its spotlight upwards, the beam implacably cutting through the densest of shadows. “Almost there!” she announced triumphantly. “Only about twenty meters left.”

Gritting my teeth, I gave it one final push. Legs like pistons, I surged up the ladder. Above me, the shape of a set of double doors resolved from the gloom. I came up alongside it, gulping air.

“Top floor,” Sentinel announced dryly. “Sporting goods, housewares, and creepy science experiments!” Her drones circled about, which gave me the amusing mental image of the AI pacing back and forth. “Okay, we made it. Now… access terminal, access terminal…”

I closed my eyes, pressing a palm against the wall.

“It’s… right here.” feeling my way along the bulkhead, my fingernails locked around the edges of some kind of panel on the wall. After scraping at it for a moment, it popped open, revealing a small keypad and display screen. At a mere touch, the terminal came to life.

**Silvaplate Level A-14. Please enter registration ID or hymn code.**

Something immediately came to my mind, dredged up from the shattered fragments of my oldest memories from before I’d awoken. I tapped away at the keypad, my fingers working on autopilot.

**SYLPHIRA_ANSUL_ASCIYDRIA**

_How did I know that…?_ I wondered, idly waiting for something to happen. The terminal chimed suddenly, lighting up green.

**Hymn code confirmed. Handshake connection with SH server established. Welcome, Tower Administrator Sylphira.**

“Cool…” I breathed, exploring the multitude of options that had become available to me. The user interface was surprisingly intuitive… though it felt like I had done this before. More residual memories.

**WARNING: This selection will disable Silvaplate Level A-14’s security systems. Firewalls will be deactivated, and unauthorized personnel will not be denied entry! Selection not advised. Confirm Y/N?**

Satisfied, I initiated the command. The terminal went dark, and I felt something imperceptibly _shift_ within the walls. Somehow I knew with complete certainty that the security systems had gone offline. Of course, I had just done so with my own hands at the access terminal… but I could also _feel_ it via my sixth sense.

“Did it work…?” I questioned tentatively, peering at the pair of tower guardians.

The AI exhaled with relief. “Yes! I can feel it. Now I can access the doors without my programming interfering. It’s just a simple matter of getting inside, now. That’s _my_ department.”

The pair of machines approached the double doors, coming in slow. “Administrator, you might want to keep your head down,” she cautioned. Despite that, my own curiosity compelled me to watch.

The tower guardians drifted past, stopping before the inner doors. Hatches on their streamlined fuselages popped open, segmented arms emerging. Each machine sported three of the mechanized limbs. Two of them were squat but powerful, reinforced with compressing shock absorbers and bundles of cable. Both limbs ended in an odd metal panel. The third and final arm, long and spindly, was tipped with some kind of nozzle.

In perfect sync, Sentinel’s drones pressed against  the vertical steel surface, latching on with the two sturdy arms. I realized that the panels were electromagnets, designed to allow the machine to lock onto metallic surfaces.

 _“Really,_ administrator?” Sentinel huffed. “If you insist on watching me work, you should at least close your eyes or look away when I start cutting. Do you wanna go blind or something?”

“I just wanted to watch…” I muttered feebly, averting my eyes somewhat.

The tower guardians’ third arms kissed the surface, their nozzles making contact with metal. With a _whoosh,_ twin flames ignited, the pair of cutting torches making short work of the elevator doors. I shut my eyes tightly, turning away as a shower of sparks tumbled down the open shaft.

“Watch yourself!” she cried.

With a twisted screech, the doors fell free. Panicked, I pressed my body against the rungs, making myself as small as possible. The red-hot slabs fell past me, vanishing into the abyss. A cacophony burst up from the darkness below as they were battered to pieces against the walls of the shaft.

I turned my gaze back to the doorway, which now gaped wide open. The tower guardians hung in the air, their aerodynamic bodies silhouetted by the glow of superheated metal behind them. It looked like the AI was admiring her own handiwork with pride.

“Climb on up, administrator!” she called. “Oh, and mind the hot edges. I’m told that third-degree burns aren’t fun.”

“Yay…” I groused, carefully removing my tether. Gingerly lifting myself over the molten edges of the doorway, I clambered up onto the new level.

Nothing but shadows met my gaze. Level A-14 was shrouded in darkness. Sentinel’s spotlights barely even penetrated the gloom. Shuffling across the floor, I plastered myself against a bulkhead that was partially illuminated by the AI’s cutting job. It was as far away from the malevolent shadows as possible.

My companion laughed softly, her holographic form emerging from one of the machines. “Still scared of the dark, huh?”

“M—maybe…” I stammered. I extracted my teddy bear from my pack, pressing him tightly against my chest. Even here, in this dark and scary place, I still had a small part of my big sister Mitri to keep me safe.

A glint of rainbow light from my necklace drew my gaze. I grazed it with a fingertip, smiling faintly. _Yeah… they’re still here with me, in their own special way._

A look of pity crossed the AI’s face. “Well, just sit tight. Catch your breath for a minute! I’m bringing up the Type-14 now, so hold onto your butt.”

A distant explosion echoed up the shaft as the gigantic machine rocketed upwards, blue flames blasting out through vents on its belly and legs. With a huge metallic crunch, the tower guardian shot through the doorway and impacted, _hard._ It shattered floor tiles on impact, spraying debris in every direction. The decaying floor groaned with distress under the machine’s not-insignificant weight.

“Whoa…” I breathed, wide-eyed.

The cargo-carrying tower guardian, having already recovered from its short flight, padded deeper into the shadows. With a heavy clunk, floodlights across its body snapped to life. The Type-14’s lighting arrays made those of the AGRA-NX look like a mere candle. The chamber was suddenly bathed in a brilliant light, so blinding that I had to shield my eyes.

“Guh…” I blinked rapidly, adjusting to the new brightness levels. The chamber and all of the details it held rapidly came into clarity.

As Sentinel had said, it seemed to be a laboratory of some kind. Though with the widespread devastation, it was hard to tell. It looked like the entirely of Seven Bloodstains had taken place in this singular room.

The chamber—like everything else in this _derelict_ of a tower—was enormous, its farthest reaches hidden in the shadows. They were beyond the not-insignificant circle of light that the Type-14’s lighting arrays projected. Great swaths of the laboratory were buried beneath piles of rubble from the level above. Shattered pipes protruded like daggers from great fissures in the ceiling, and twisted steel girders rose up through the black tiles that made up the floor. With the manmade stalactites, widespread decay, and darkness, the abandoned lab almost felt like some kind of cavern. It even had a low and oppressive ceiling to boot, as well as the ever-present sound of dripping water that echoed through the void.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

What little floor space that wasn’t buried under rubble was occupied by hundreds upon hundreds of cubicles, workbenches, and large appliances that looked like figures hunched over in the dark. Low dividers sectioned off the different segments of the laboratory complex. I took a half-step forward and my boot grazed against some kind of discarded power tool. The object had decayed almost to the point of unrecognizability. Dozens just like it were scattered across the chamber, along with millions of rotting sheets of paper. A thick layer of dust covered everything like a blanket.

No one had been here in hundreds of years. This entire floor was _dead,_ devoid of life. Yet even here, amidst the dust and decay, I could still feel a steady stream of symphonic power flowing upwards.

A blue light grew in the corner of my eye, my AI companion drawing to my side. She sniffed disapprovingly, evidently dissatisfied with the spire’s severe degradation. “We are now in the upper research labs of the silvaplate. These workspaces take up the entirety of this level, as well as several more above it.”

“That… that’s a lot of ground to cover…” I uttered weakly, lacking the drive to explore after my tiring ordeal in the elevator shaft. Every muscle in my body ached.

Sentinel nodded. “Indeed. _That said,_ there should be several access hatches spaced around the circumference of this floor. Meant for maintenance workers, they allow one to pass through the spire’s inner and outer dividing walls. Any one of those will lead to the exterior of the tower—our current destination. We need to find one.”

“Mmh…”

“But _first,”_ she added with a sly grin, “let’s bring up the big guy. Brace for impact!”

“Wait, wha—”

A deafening _boom_ erupted from the open shaft at my back, followed by the grating screech of metal on metal. I could sense the freight elevator’s circuitry going dark, atomized by the ignition of the AGRA-NX’s jump jets.

The tower guardian came screaming up the shaft, rising on a pillar of sparks as it scraped against the walls. I leapt back in the nick of time; it plowed through the open doorway, taking out chunks of wall and ceiling on the way in. It landed _hard,_ releasing a shockwave that knocked me onto my backside. A wide circle of floor tiles around the impact site was pulverized into dust, and I felt structural braces beneath the surface buckle and snap. Miraculously the floor somehow held, leaving the machine standing in a smoking crater while the dust settled.

The sudden blow to the spire’s internal structure seemed to cause a small reaction in my own body, mirroring what had happened during the plasma bell disaster. I winced, gingerly rubbing my belly. I had felt a small twinge of pain—no more than a pinprick—materialize suddenly inside my abdomen, vanishing as quickly as it had come.

The AI sighed with relief, casting me an apologetic glance in acknowledgement of the pain I had felt. “…Whew. For a second there, I was pretty sure that the floor would give way.”

“M—me too…” I uttered feebly, swallowing the lump in my throat.

**———————————————————**

I shuffled through the darkness, kicking a canister along the floor. The metal cylinder skittered through the corridor, kicking up trails of dust. Grumbling with annoyance, I noted the presence of a deep gouge in the bulkhead up ahead. It was a marking left by Sentinel’s tower guardian, meant to show that she had already covered this area.

Sighing with resignation, I turned my focus inward. **_> Um, Sentinel… where are you now?<_ **

Her reply was prompt. **_> Administrator.<_ ** The AI sounded every bit as frustrated as I was. **_> I’ve moved up to Level A-16 now, but it’s still not looking good. Most of this floor has collapsed and I can’t get anywhere near the inner dividing wall, let alone the outer one. How about you?<_ **

I brought the beam of my flashlight to bear on the marking that her AGRA-NX had left behind. **_> I’m still on A-14… I think I ran across an area you’ve checked already, though.<_ ** I briefly summarized my surroundings, the labyrinth of corridors and smaller chambers that I now found myself in.

**_> Ah… right, that place. Yeah, I cleared that yesterday. It was promising at first—it’s rather close to the inner wall—but I couldn’t find a way through. Careful in there, it’s a maze.<_ **

**_> I noticed…<_ ** My gaze turned back to the corridor ahead, sliding across the lines of doors spaced along the walls. Each one led into a private lab, workshop, meeting room, or some other place of industry. Though the architecture was unchanging within the silvaplate, some of the contents of said architecture would sometimes draw my curiosity—and occasionally result in a quick question relayed to my AI companion.

It had been forty-eight hours since the two of us had emerged from the empty shaft, commencing our expedition into the derelict ruins of what had once been a thriving workplace in the tower. At first I had stuck to Sentinel like glue, tearfully refusing to let go of the Type-14’s leg in lieu of the oppressive darkness just beyond the ring of light. But after a day of wandering, a day of unchanging scenery, a day of walking through the same halls and the same rooms and clambering over the same piles of rubble, I was willing to entertain Sentinel’s plan—to split up, enabling us to cover more ground. The interior of the silvaplate was vast, and couldn’t be mapped out alone. And due to the nature of the reinforced and sound-deadening bulkheads found in the top-secret lab, the AI’s method of using echolocation to capture the dimensions of an empty space didn’t work so well.

The first time we split up, I had chased her down within minutes, tears streaming down my frightened face. I had pleaded with her to stay, to not leave me alone in the dark. Thanks to my first night in the forest and my encounter with the Other, I didn’t exactly have a fondness for it. But in spite of that she refused, pushing me away.

“You need to become strong, administrator,” she had said. “If I go easy on you, if I grow complacent in your upbringing… then that’s not gonna be able to happen. I can’t. I’m sorry.”

So she left me.

Though, it turned out to not be as bad as I’d previously believed. I adapted quickly to being on my own. I could still communicate with her at any time via our telepathic link, and she would nonetheless come running should there be some kind of emergency. So far she had only needed to come once, during another attack that had left me writhing on the floor. She had helped me back to my feet, gifted a few words of kindness, encouragement, and the usual dose of dry sarcasm, then melted back into the shadows.   

I poked my head into one of the side rooms, peering at the misshapen forms in the darkness. Bathed in the glow of my flashlight, they revealed themselves to be nothing more than a line of workbenches and metalworking appliances. From lathes to welders to cutting tools, the chamber was filled with them. The far end of the room was packed with large bins, each filled with various raw materials. Hand tools and blueprints lay scattered across the floor. With everything that had been cast aside, it seemed as if the complex had been evacuated in a hurry.

 _Mmh…_ I stepped into the room, glancing around curiously. I knew that I wouldn’t find an access hatch here, but I couldn’t deny my own interest in the tower’s former inhabitants.

My eyes locked on the furthest workbench, drawn by the glint of steel. I approached the table, squinting at the odd silhouette lying across its surface. **_> Um, Sentinel…<_ **

**_> Yes, Administrator? Did you find something?<_ **

**_> Kinda… sorta…? N—not really, I guess. I found some kind of… um, weapons lab, I think.<_ ** I gingerly poked the conical object with a finger, having realized that it was a wicked-looking lance. Its length must have been equal to or greater than my own height. **_> There’s a bunch of scary and dangerous stuff in here…<_ **

**_> Mmh,<_ ** she replied, disinterested. **_> Nothing else?<_ **

I experimentally grasped the handle of the enormous lance, straining to lift it. While doing so, I couldn’t help but notice that four rocket thrusters protruded from the weapon’s vamplate in a wide plus-shape. **_> Nggh! I… I was just wondering if this is leftover stuff from Sol Cluster. I mean… this is their tower, right? The military’s?<_ **

The AI hesitated. **_> Weeeell… yes and no. Asciydria was… uh, put under new management when the Sol Cluster military collapsed. It was brought about in the aftermath of Seven Bloodstains.<_ **

I frowned, releasing my grip on the weapon. With its wickedly-sharp tip and rocket thrusters, I couldn’t help but shiver at the idea of being impaled on it. **_> Really…? Who did that?<_ **

**_> The Aegis Alliance of Ar Ciel did. It was an organization founded with the goal to nurse the planet back to health after the scars it had incurred during Seven Bloodstains.<_ ** Her voice filled with disdain. **_> They were led by El Elemia of Sol Ciel.<_ **

**_> Wait…!<_ ** I gasped, freezing up. **_> Aren’t those the guys wh—<_ **

**_> Yes, they were,<_ ** the AI spat bitterly. **_> Real nice, right? The nation who inflicted so much damage to the world put themselves in charge of fixing it. Remember when we were in the shaft the other day, and I made a vague remark of how the humans had tried to erase me? That was the Aegis Alliance. Or rather, it was one of the divisions that had split off from the main branch at Sol Ciel—a smaller group called Ayrakii R&D.<_ **

_That makes sense…_ I thought to myself. _If the Sol Cluster alliance really collapsed like she said, then they wouldn’t have been able to maintain the tower. And that means that Sol Ciel came over to take it by force, to get their technology back. I bet they wouldn’t have been happy about Sentinel, either…_ I thought back to one of my earlier dreams, the one that had culminated in an assault on the Apex by unknown forces and the death of my creator.

I shook my head wryly, recalling what the invading forces had said. _They even called themselves ‘Elemia spec ops’ to boot! That’s one piece of the puzzle taken care of, I guess._

Giving the rocket-powered lance a lingering touch, I hurried back out into the corridor. **_> I think that makes sense. My tow—um, this tower was originally built as a military installation… but Ayrakii got their hands on it, and they modified it to launch things into space?<_ **

**_> More or less,<_ ** she replied. **_> Though I wouldn’t exactly say that Ayrakii modified it, per say. Credit where credit is due; the spire was barebones at best when they came for us in 3034, and the workers they brought with them practically rebuilt it from scratch. Right up until the Grathnode Inferia hit six years later, they were still adding components.<_ **

**_> Mhh…<_ ** I continued my shuffle down the hallway, kicking along the same canister. **_> But… but that doesn’t answer my question… What’s with all the weapons and stuff?<_ **

Sentinel was silent for a long moment. **_> …Oh. Well, it was one of many of Ayrakii’s side projects. Alongside communications, song amplification, and space launch, they ran a lot of research and development projects.<_ ** An undertone of playfulness entered her ethereal voice. **_> I mean… it is right in the name, after all! Ayrakii Research & Development.<_ **

“Right…” I grumbled aloud, inaudible to the AI.

**_> But yeah. To finish that point, research and development was their thing. New tower components, new and exciting types of song magic, new tower guardian models… heck, even my AGRA-NX is a descendant of an old Sol Ciel design. If you imagined anything at all, there’s probably already a prototype of it buried in the rubble somewhere around here.<_ **

**_> Okay… thank you for answering.<_ **

**_> By the way,<_ ** she questioned, changing the topic. **_> Any luck down there yet? I’m pretty certain that this floor is a total wash. I’m gonna head back down to Level A-15 and recheck the perimeter.<_ **

I came to a halt, peering around. I had ended up in a new area, though the inner dividing wall was still nowhere in sight. Sentinel had told me that its inner surface would be covered with ornate carvings, etched into a bronzed metal. Nothing like that was illuminated in the wandering beam of my flashlight. **_> Um… nope. There’s nothing here…<_ **

**_> Dammit,<_ ** she hissed with frustration. **_> If we can’t find a way out, then I’m stumped.<_ **

**_> How do you get your tower guardians past this normally?<_ ** I questioned. **_> I mean… surely you’ve needed to move them around before… right?<_ **

Sentinel sighed. **_> I wish it were that simple. I move my heavy land-based drones—like the AGRA-NX, for example—between Section B and C via specialized lifting rigs designed to carry heavy cargo. They’re all stranded up in Section B behind the prome wall, though.<_ **

**_> Ah…<_ ** Nudging the canister to one side, I turned to walk down a new corridor that I hopefully hadn’t wandered through already. _Please… please be here…_ The tight corridors and oppressive darkness was wearing me down, slowly but surely.

 **_> Just keep searching,<_ ** she muttered, her voice growing distant. **_> Don’t give up. We can’t.<_ **

**———————————————————**

While exploring one of dozens of identical isolated laboratories, I spotted something—a glimmer of rainbow light caught in the beam of my flashlight. Stepping deeper into the chamber, I approached the shimmering objects scattered across the room with interest.

 **_> Sentinel…? I found something in one of the labs…<_ ** I kneeled down before a large display case, peering curiously at the bottom shelf. The shelving unit bristled with dozens of multicolored crystalline structures. The room was utterly _filled_ with them.

 **_> If it’s not the dividing wall, I don’t wanna hear it,<_ ** the AI grumbled. Her mood had deteriorated quickly in the last few hours while she dug through the remnants of Level A-15 for the third time.

I gingerly picked one up, holding it under the beam of my flashlight. Its faceted surface shone a warm sky-blue. The crystalline core object anchored within a silvery metal frame. I could feel energy simmering deep within; this was clearly no normal rock. The socket on my forearm tingled suddenly, and I absentmindedly scratched it.

Making my best attempt to describe it, I spoke back to my AI companion. **_> I found a bunch of gemstones here… at least, I think they’re gemstones…?<_ ** I shook my head. **_> Um, there’s a lot of them, all in different colors. Some of them are set inside frames, and there’s more that are really slender and spiky.<_ **

**_> Ah,<_ ** she said knowingly. **_> Well, the pointy-looking ones are called grathnode crystals. They’re meant to be inserted into a Reyvateil’s body via one’s install port, to alter the grathnode layer within. Doing so has the potential to change the properties of any song magic one might use.<_ **

**_> Y—you stick these into your body?!<_ ** I gingerly poked the tip of one, feeling its jagged contours. The process seemed horribly painful. I couldn’t imagine ever willingly submitting myself to that.

 **_> Indeed,<_ ** she confirmed, sounding somewhat irritated that I was pushing the topic. **_> The ones set in frames are different. Those are special storage mediums known as hymn crystals. Each one contains a data packet that translates into a unique piece of song magic.<_ **

“Song magic…?” I whispered aloud, staring into the hymn crystal’s swirling depths with wonder. Despite the fact that I was a Reyvateil Origin—allegedly one of the most powerful singers in the _world_ —I had only used song magic on one occasion, and it had bugged out upon usage. **_> Could I use these to help me learn song magic?<_ **

**_> Uh, NO!<_ ** she exclaimed, horrified. **_> Do you want brain damage? Because that’s how you get brain damage! Those things are in here for a reason. They’re all experimental. We have no idea how those hymn crystals work, or if they even work at all. They could very well be loaded with corrupted code for all you know! It’s not safe to use them!<_ **

**_> Aww…<_ ** Excitement fading away to be replaced with bitter disappointment, I slipped the shimmering gem back into the display case. Though just as I turned away to leave, a flash of light caught my eye.

_Wait, what’s that…?_

There was a small safe at the far end of the room, anchored to the wall. Though, the safe wasn’t exactly _safe_ anymore. The door of the reinforced box had corroded, hanging loose from its frame at an odd angle. A silvery light shone from within. I felt drawn by the hypnotic glow.

I reached out, nudging aside the rusty door. At my touch, it tumbled out of its frame and hit the tiled floor with a dull _clunk._ Ignoring the sound, I reverently scooped up the mysterious light source.

It was another hymn crystal, but this one was indescribably _beautiful._ Kept safe within a carbon-black metal frame, the crystalline object pulsed with a dim white light. Though within its swirling depths, there was something _else._ Occasionally the white mists within would part for the briefest of moments, revealing an inky black void lurking just below the surface. Tiny arcs of blue-tinged electricity surged back and forth between the stormy clouds, closely resembling lightning. It was practically an entire _world_ inside there.

_Pretty… but why is it inside a safe? None of the others are… What makes this one different? Is it dangerous? Valuable, maybe…?_

Captivated by the flickering light, I slipped it into a rucksack pocket. _A… souvenir, I guess._ Shaking my head, I promptly made my way out of the chamber. Even though I’d left the lab behind, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the hymn crystal in my pack was _important_ somehow.

**———————————————————**

**_—ure, error code 100605._ **

I gritted my teeth, rubbing my temples vigorously. _Wha… what the heck is this?!_

Several minutes ago, I had begun to feel something in my head—some kind of internal pressure. At first I had thought that it was just a headache brought about by my current levels of stress and frustration… but then the pressure had amplified. That was when I started suspecting that it was another attack, and I had been ready to plead for Sentinel to come… and that’s when I started hearing _voices._ My own voice, speaking in a dull and mechanical monotone. A hypnotic siren call, drawing me through the darkness—a signal.

**_Uplink Unit 2-B system failure, error code 100605._ **

“W—what do you want?!” I cried out, stumbling down the corridor.

**_Uplink Unit 2-B system failure, error code 100605._ **

The signal drew me inexorably through the labyrinth of passages, finally converging on a vault-like door that I hadn’t seen before. Much like everything else on this level, the steel plating had mostly rotted away. At a touch, the door crumbled off its hinges, revealing—no surprise—yet another lab, its furnishings almost identical to the rest.

 _What was I supposed to see in here?_ I wandered into the chamber, staring into the shadows all around me with trepidation. The fact that the pressure in my skull had evaporated the instant I crossed the threshold into the room didn’t escape my notice.

 _Wait…_ I clicked off my flashlight, peering into the gloom. _What’s that weird glow?_

My suspicions had been correct; a green light flickered dimly up ahead. _The source of the signal, maybe?_

I shone my flashlight beam on a large rectangular shape that sat at the back of the room. The object appeared to be some kind of containment unit, its exterior covered in panels of dense midnight-black plating. However, the ceramic squares had cracked with age, and some had even come loose. If this was the source of the signal, then it was escaping due to the unit’s severely damaged state.

_But why me? Is it because I’m closer to the epicenter than Sentinel, or because of who and what I am? It’s speaking in my voice, too…_

There was a thick glass porthole on one side of the rectangular chamber, and I approached it with nervous consternation. I had no idea what would necessitate such extreme containment measures like this. _Radioactive stuff? Weapons? A captured Other…?_ The last possibility was particularly terrifying, giving me pause.

I hesitantly peered in through the small viewing port, trying in vain to make out the sealed unit’s contents.

_Wait… what is that thing?_

The interior of the containment unit was spotless, sealed as it was for centuries… though it wasn’t empty. An odd spherical object lay inert within. I panned my flashlight beam across it, catching a glimpse of glass and metal. What I presumed was a gaping hole on the underside of the strange object—it must have been hollow—radiated a viridian light, spilling across the containment unit’s floor.

A moment of realization. _Oh…! It’s just a helmet of some kind. I get it._ Shuffling around the unit’s perimeter, I searched for some kind of access point. Finding a small door on the back of the unit, I twisted it open and reached in, extracting the headgear.

I flipped the helmet over in my hands, perplexed. I had never seen anything like it. It would have been incredibly out of place in the rustic village of Mist’s Reach, looking like something straight out of science fiction and almost _alien._

The helmet was molded from a sturdy yet surprisingly-lightweight metal alloy, polished to a sheen and painted a matte white. Even after centuries, the piece of equipment looked as if it had come off the assembly line only yesterday. The helmet’s faceplate, starting just above the mouth, was covered by a transparent glass visor. Though it was strange; I had expected to stare through the glass and see the padded interior of the helmet. Yet beneath the glass lay only gray steel, inlaid with circuitry and wiring. Five gaping holes set into the helmet’s ‘face’ under the visor resembled hollow eye sockets to an uncanny degree. The lower portion of the face was shielded behind a jet-black metal plating that ended in a sort of locking collar where the neck should be. Evidently, there was more to this than just a solitary _helmet._

 _That’s really strange, though…_ It was unclear how exactly the helmet was supposed to _work,_ due to the fact that it had no eyeholes. Both the nose and the mouth were covered, too. A potential wearer would be _blind,_ not to mention _suffocating._

 _Well… those five eye-looking things on the face could be camera lenses…_ I turned it over in my hands, peering into the armor’s interior. A single green light burned from within.

Then I started, quickly setting it back down. My imagination had taken the reins. _I wonder what I’d look like if I wore this…? I wouldn’t look human, that’s for sure. I’d look like a scary robot or something. Like the machine that I really am…_

I giggled to myself, shaking the sobering thoughts away. _Dummy. Don’t take this so seriously! I can always just take it off, after all. I don’t even think it’s gonna fit anyway; it’s way too big for me._

Taking a deep breath, I nervously slipped the oversized helmet on.

It was every bit as claustrophobic as I’d thought, perhaps even moreso. I was utterly blind, deaf, and it was difficult to breathe. My heart fluttered nervously as I settled to the floor, getting used to the weird feeling.

I snorted suddenly, not exactly sure of what I was doing. _…Now what?_

The helmet gave its answer. The green light—which had emitted from a tiny fixture mounted to an interior surface at the corner of my eye—vanished, replaced with an angry red. It pulsed once, twice, three times. Then it went dark. I waited in the dark for a long moment, frozen, waiting for something else to happen.

Yet nothing did.

I got the vague sense that I had just been denied access. _I… guess that’s it? That light must be a warning or something… and I guess that explains the error code the signal mentioned. So that means it’s broken. And even so, it wouldn’t fit in my pack, anyway._ Disappointed, I cast the piece of equipment aside, making sure to put it back inside its broken containment unit. Though as I was doing so, I noticed a label plastered to the back of the helmet.

 

_DO NOT REMOVE_

_Project Label _____________ Amplification Systems Uplink Unit 2-B, Version 0.96 [EXPERIMENTAL]_

_Serial Number ____________ 820031507436_

_Manufacturer(s) ___________ Ayrakii Research & Development, Kurogane Labs _

_Development Lead ________ Lekan Finnr (lead engineer), Eli Meinrad (head foreman)_

_Manufacturing Date ________ 29/05/3038_

_Production Status _________ Discontinued_

_Miscellaneous Notes _______ Prototype hardware discontinued due to successful production of the 1.0 unit. This outdated component will henceforth be utilized to study the structural integrity of airmetal alloys before and after exposure to ultra-high wave frequencies. Please contact Eli Meinrad on Level A-16 for more information. Be prepared to provide component serial number upon request._

 

 _Mmh…_ Losing interest and finding the label irrelevant, I closed the hatch back up, re-affixed some of the unit’s exterior shielding, then made my way out of the deserted laboratory. I exhaled with relief, noting that the ache wasn’t returning—nor were the voices.

_So that helmet was what sent the signal, because of its broken containment unit. Weird detour over, I guess…? Now I can get back on track._

I melted back into the shadows. I still had a job to do.

**———————————————————**

**_> Still no luck?<_ ** I asked tiredly, just about at my wit’s end.

 **_> No,<_ ** Sentinel snapped sullenly. **_> Nothing.<_ **

Minor distractions notwithstanding, I had been searching this floor alone for five uninterrupted hours. Sentinel, with the advantage of having three additional bodies, had already covered two entire floors herself. Yet despite that, neither of us had found a way to access the inner dividing wall.

I sighed, plopping my behind down on a flat outcropping of rubble. While there were hundreds of chairs around, I wasn’t exactly eager to test how well their structural integrity had fared over the centuries. Exhausted, I took a sip from my canteen, enjoying the sensation of cool water on my tongue.

 _This isn’t working out so well…_ I kicked at the tiled floor, feeling like an utter failure. _I’m supposed to be the Tower Administrator, and I can’t even find my way out of it? Some administrator I am. If only I could see more than just symphonic power lines in the walls…_

I froze, drink hovering at my lips. _…Wait. Can I?_

Taking flight, energized to the crazy idea that had come to mind, I rushed through the twisting and turning corridors, making my way back to the enormous central chamber where the main shaft was located. It ran dead-center through the silvaplate, and so would give me the best possible chance of finding an access hatch… if I was even physically capable of doing so.

It took several long minutes before I made it back to the cluster of elevator shafts. Though I had no problem remembering the correct path to make it back, the travel time wasn’t insignificant. Gasping for breath, yet trembling with excitement, I slammed an open palm against the wall.

_Okay… let’s try this…!_

My mind opened up, outer barriers falling into the void. All around me I felt tenuous fibers of flickering energy—the symphonic power lines that ran throughout the silvaplate, drawing energy from the Orgel below for the rest of the spire.

 _No…_ My brow creased. _No. I don’t wanna look through these. I need something else, something broader that covers more… like an overview._

I pushed again, attempting to force my perspective to shift. I turned my inner eye from the power lines, fixing my concentration on a single point of emptiness.

 _C’mon… c’mon… shift, please! Let me see something else! Sh_ **_ift! Shift. Clear search terms. Default view._ **

A gasp was torn from my throat as I was suddenly drawn into what I could only describe as an out-of-body experience. I felt isolated, detached from my physical form, staring down at tiny blotches of light buried within the derelict ruins of the silvaplate.

I saw myself at the main shaft—a radiant star surrounded by tiny motes of light. I could even make out a shimmering thread that must have been the connection between my physical body and my actual soul in the SH server… wherever that was. All I could tell was that it led straight up, to a distant point just below the summit of the tower.

But it wasn’t just myself that I saw.

A spiderweb of gargantuan scale and complexity took my breath away. The unnamed network dominated the bulk of the tower, spreading across its furthest reaches. I stared up at it in wonder, noting how alike it was to a starry sky—and with the interconnecting ethereal threads, like a starmap.

And then, with a shock, I realized what it was.

_Sentinel…_

Here in this place—this place between the physical and the digital—I saw Sentinel’s true form. The strength of the network making up her body waxed and waned, pulsing like the heartbeat of a living thing. Seeing her like this, it erased any flicker of doubt in my mind that the little AI wasn’t _truly sapient,_ subject to thoughts and emotions like any human. She was enormous, magnificent, a testament to the genius of those who had created her seven hundred years ago.

Though there were scars—wear and tear incurred over the long years. The most striking discrepancy was the severe lack of tower guardians required to sustain her consciousness. Several days ago in the plasma bell, Sentinel had told me that her original ‘body’ had contained fifteen thousand guardians, back when Asciydria Tower was in its prime. But now, there were far fewer.

 **_2006 tower guardians._ ** I tallied them up, far quicker than any human could. **_No, 2010. And when we we_ ** _re in the plasma bell the other day, Sentinel told me that she had about 2100 left. Which means in such a short amount of time, she’s already lost almost a hundred more… probably when she had the hiccup that made her crash the Alto._

Though there was more than that. What she had managed to keep wasn’t all there. I could tell, just by focusing on one point in particular. Doing so narrowed my focus, allowing me to view the diagnostics of individual tower guardians.

_Oh…_

It was _alarming_ how many of the few she had left were immobile, damaged beyond repair or buried in rubble too deep to be excavated—though somehow they’d stubbornly held on, maintaining the AI’s network.

And even beyond the hardware, her software had fared no better. Entire memory caches choked with lines upon lines of dysfunctional coding. Systems whose programming had been literally _ripped out._ Protocols that had been gutted, rewritten, then gutted and rewritten all over again. If the brilliant mind who had designed Sentinel could see her current state, the poor man would have broken down into tears.

But I could see more than that—much more. More than Sentinel’s coding, more than the status of individual drones. I pulled back, expanding my viewing range yet maintaining my narrow focus on singular tower guardians. Able to see bursts of coding, light, and radiation filling up the void between machines, blurring together into smears of colors, I realized that what I was seeing was a broad look into her _emotions._

Light flitted past my intangible eyes. I saw things here that I _never_ expected to see in her, whom I saw as being so aloof and brimming with confidence.

Pale and gloomy shades of gray, aimlessly drifting back and forth like lost children.

Streaks of violet, flitting rapidly between the AI’s nodes in a frantic and disoriented manner.

Washed-out shades of blue that permeated the entirety of her consciousness, so cold and devoid of warmth that I was nearly moved to tears.

_I… I had no idea that she was like this…_

It was then that my respect of Sentinel began to grow. It was no stretch to say that I didn’t exactly _like_ the AI. She was cold, mean, dismissive, and altogether unpleasant to be around—despite the  admittedly-rare moments when she’d display a high degree of courage, self-sacrifice, and gentleness. For the first time, I felt like I could _truly understand_ the AI, despite knowing so little about her. We were so much more similar than I’d previously thought.

Both her and I were relics from a long-dead world, out of place in this new and inhospitable parody of Ar Ciel.

 _N—no._ I shook my head rapidly, drawing back from the AI’s network. _I… I shouldn’t have seen this. I invaded her privacy, and it’s not what I came here to do…!_

Getting a handle on my emotions, I once again brought my inner eye to bear on the silvaplate. Motes of light winked in and out of existence, points of energy across the level.

I grimaced. **_Shift. New search terms; inner and outer dividing walls, silvaplate, Level A-14._ **

A golden halo flared up around the circumference of the silvaplate—the double layer of dividing walls. From here, I could feel my way along the curved surface, looking for breaks in the plating that would mark the presence of an access hatch.

My eyes widened, lips parting. _I… I found one!_

It took almost half an hour for me to hurry over, my legs burning with exertion by the time I arrived. Gulping down air and leaning on a crumbling pillar for support, I took an analytical look over what lay before me.

It was as Sentinel had described it. The wall here was bronze, glowing with warmth in the beam of my flashlight. Intricate glyphs and carvings etched into the surface caught my interest, but that wasn’t what I had come for.

 _Access hatch, access hatch…_ I turned back and forth, raking my light across the curved wall. _I know you’re here, so where… are… you…?_

My eyes focused on a nasty and treacherous thicket of scrap metal. Reaching from floor to ceiling, the cluster of mangled girders and rusty lines of jagged rebar glinted in the light. Had someone had asked me what I would call something like this, I would simply reply with ‘meat grinder.’

Biting my lower lip, I tentatively reached out and wrapped my hand around a strip of rebar. _Let’s see if this moves…!_

I yanked on the tube of metal, releasing a sudden cry of pain. My hands spasmed involuntarily, losing purchase. My palms had come back bloody and caked with flakes of rust.

“Ow…” I whimpered aloud, falling to my knees. I pressed my forehead to the dusty floor, fighting back tears while pain ran rampant through my forearms.

 _Stop it…!_ I scolded myself, trying to get my tears under control. _You’ll be okay! It’ll heal in a minute! Just focus on solving the problem first._

“Yeah…” I breathed to myself, lifting my trembling chin. “F—focus.”

I rose up on shaky legs, leaning against a nearby wall. Despite the seething pain, there was no doubt in my mind that the access hatch was somewhere behind that meat grinder.

_I could ask Sentinel… but I dunno if she’d have much better luck than me. This pile is so huge, I don’t even think that big and scary tower guardian could get through it._

Deep in thought, I folded my arms. _There’s just too much stuff to move! The only way through would be… a pinpoint strike, I think. Something like a drill, or… or…_

My eyes widened. _…Wait._

_I know exactly what to get._

As I hurried off, I took note of my palms. The cuts had already faded to lines of angry-red crisscrossing scars, and even those were fading by the second. All that remained were a few patches of powdered rust.

_Wait… where’d the blood go?_

I frowned, flexing my fingers. The crimson gore covering my hands had vanished without a trace.

 _That’s a little weird._ I shrugged, more important things on my mind. If anything, I was happy to see it gone.

I suddenly exhaled tiredly, feeling moisture on my forearms. _It’s a little warmer in here than I thought… I’m a little damp with sweat from all that running earlier._

I let droplets of water slide from my fingers, spattering across the floor. _Anyway, now that that’s taken care of… I’ll be right back, wall. I’m gonna go get an old friend!_

**———————————————————**

It took well over an hour for me to return, dragging the enormous weight behind me. Upon arrival, I crumbled facedown to the floor, unable to stand.

“T—that hurt…”

Taking a breather, I took a moment to review what I was planning. _I already double-checked that it had fuel… at least, I think that was the fuel tank. I won’t be able to hold it steady, so I’ll have to set it down on a table or something to support it. After that… I guess all I can do is activate it and hope for the best…_

_Yeah… hope for the best… because this thing is centuries old and probably never once got test-fired._

I rotated my head, feeling the cool tiles on my cheek. My fallen flashlight caught the object I had dragged all the way here, letting me catch a glimpse of its polished metal shaft.

_Okay, rocket lance… let’s see what you can do!_

I shakily rose up, wrapping my hands around the monstrous weapon’s hilt once more. Pulling it closer to the thicket of steel, I scampered off to find a method of supporting the lance. Finding a small desk nearby, I pushed it along the floor, positioning it in front of my target.

 _And now here comes the hard part._ Bending down, I wrapped both arms around the rocket-powered lance, groaning with the sheer effort it took to lift. I understood perfectly well that I wasn’t anywhere near the scale of an adult, but I still had trouble picturing a human who could heft something so massive.

 _Please don’t break, please don’t break…_ My knees gave out just as I set the lance down on the piece of furniture, sending me back to the floor. The desk released a nasty squeal of protest, but remained intact.

_Whew… Everything’s ready!_

Carefully raising my arm, I felt around for the weapon’s grip. Finding it—as well as the trigger meant to ignite the rocket motors—I prepared to fire.

_…Please don’t explode in my face…_

Bracing myself as best I could, I pulled the trigger.

The weapon was silent for a moment, leading me to believe at first that it was broken. But then, smoke began to trickle out. The four nozzles slid out, extending and angling themselves away from the weapon’s grip. Each began to glow a fiery orange.

The lance emitted a faint _beep._

With a deafening roar that rattled my gut, white-hot flames streamed from the weapon in a raging torrent, passing directly over my head. In the blink of an eye it shot forward, knocking the desk I hid beneath to the floor. I could only gape as it punched through the thicket of metal like it was nothing, emerging out the other side.

The sound of the firing rocket motors gradually faded into the distance as the lance tumbled down towards the Sea of Death. A fitting end to such an insane weapon.

In its destructive wake, a small hole had been bored through the obstruction ahead. Robbed of its structural integrity, the meat grinder fell apart, allowing sunlight to pour in—so much that I had to shield my eyes.

**_> Sentinel! Sentinel, I found it!<_ **

**———————————————————**

“Whoa whoa whoa, back it up!” Sentinel exclaimed hotly, staring at me as if I’d grown two heads. “You used a _what?!”_

“A—a rocket lance…!” I cried back, pointing at the newly-created passage ahead. “You know! A lance… b—but with rockets attached to it…”

“What kind of halfwit crackpot scientist invents something so dumb?” the AI grumbled.

“You can’t argue against its effectiveness!” I huffed, folding my arms in a pout. “I want one…”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. We’re getting out of this deathtrap.” The AGRA-NX lumbered forward, taking the lead. The tiny aerial drones had already returned to their berths inside the Type-14’s chassis, which waited silently behind me. It was to take up the rear, leaving me sandwiched in the middle.

The AI deftly nodded, looking me over. “Whenever you’re ready… Tower Administrator.”

I nodded shakily, pulling my hood up so that she couldn’t see the scarlet flush across my cheeks. I couldn’t help it—not after what I had done. I felt only guilt for invading her privacy. “I—I’m ready…”

“Then let’s go.” The enormous machine up ahead vanished into the sunlight. I brought an arm up, shielding my eyes from the light I hadn’t seen in days. Opening my mouth wide, I gratefully took in a breath of fresh air. Lifting my head, I—

Sky. Endless sky.

A gale-force wind met me head-on, my cloak flaring out in response. But I didn’t pay any mind to that. How could I, with a view like this laid out before my eyes?

Sentinel and I stood on a wide ledge that appeared to run around the circumference of the silvaplate. Clad in stark white plating, this windswept place was too harsh to support abundant vegetation. Only a few gnarled cedar trees and patches of gray moss stubbornly clung to life.

The Isles of Aria spread out in every direction, riding on the cloudy Sea. Their rocky silhouettes shone orange in the light of the setting sun, strikingly contrasting with the indigo sky. Smaller clusters of rock drifted back and forth between their larger brethren, guided by the air currents.

I tentatively shuffled to the edge, peering straight down. From up here, the meadow and lake we’d started at looked like a miniscule diorama. The meadow was a welcome mat, the lake a puddle. The sprawling forest was naught but toothpicks. From here, I could make out the twin peaks of Mist’s Reach, twenty kilometers away. My heart constricted, brimming with loneliness. In need of reassurance, I touched the necklace at my collarbone. Mitri and Evecia were probably eating dinner right about now… alone.

“I wanna go home…” I whimpered, too silent for Sentinel to overhear.

_But I can’t._

Determined, I turned my gaze skywards. The tower loomed directly overhead, looming imposingly. The orbiting plates of the ion corridor looked closer than ever.

**_> Administrator, this way.<_ **

I turned to see the pair of tower guardians, slowly lumbering away. The top of the silvaplate rose in a very gentle incline, rising to the point where it intersected with Asciydria Tower’s main shaft. The blackened pillar, which ran almost all the way through the spire, was nearly three kilometers in diameter and would take us all the way to the terminus of Section C.

 **> W—wait for me!<** I scrambled after them, careful to watch my footing on the windswept slope.

Quickly catching up, I took up position between the pair as planned. Another gust of wind scoured the desolate surface, bitterly cold. I grimaced, my eyes like slits. “It’s not gonna be like this all the way up, is it?!”

“No!” the AI hollered, shouting over the shrieking wind. “It’s only like this because of permanent air currents that circle around this altitude. The ion corridor doesn’t work nearly as well as it used to, and malfunctions quite often. That said, the weather should even out when we start our ascent of the main shaft!”

“That’s good…” I was relieved that I hadn’t overdressed when choosing my attire.

The hike up to the main shaft was stressful and exhausting, the wind snapping at our heels every step of the way. Though at the base of the enormous pillar, the curved top of the silvaplate angled back down. It formed a shallow basin encircling the main shaft, allowing us some respite before starting the climb.

“This is so pretty!” I exclaimed gleefully, rushing ahead. The low-lying area had been totally reclaimed by nature. A narrow stream—or lake?—ran through the manmade valley, vanishing off in the distance where it curved behind the gargantuan shaft. Numerous spruce and fir trees sheltered the lush area, protecting the wildlife that lived here. Giggling, I pushed my way through a copse of ferns, listening to the cries of panicked birds disturbed by my playful romp. With Cuddles held tightly in my arms, I could almost imagine that Mitri was here at my side.

 **_> Administrator? We’re here to work, not play,<_ ** the AI grumbled. I heard branches snap in twain, dry leaves crushed underfoot. Her tower guardians plodded along in perfect sync, treading alongside the midnight-black wall.

Huffing with annoyance, I hurried after them. _I wanted to explore a little… I know I have important stuff to do, but I can have a little fun doing it, right?_

Catching up yet again, I peered over at the stubborn AI. “Um… Sentinel, what are we looking for, anyway? Since it’s getting dark, shouldn’t we stop for the night?”

“We still have an hour or two of light remaining,” the AI replied dryly, pointing at the sun which had only just kissed the cloud tops. “That’s valuable time we can use. As for what we’re looking for,” her face suddenly brightened, “we’re looking for _that.”_

Buried in the foliage lay the beginning of a stairway, partially recessed into the side of the tower wall. More than wide enough for the AGRA-NX, I couldn’t help but feel ill upon realizing that it had no railings. Up close to the cylindrical surface of the main shaft, I could see how its blackened surface had been encrusted with vines and patches of lichen.

“This is how we get up…” I hazarded a guess.

“Indeed.”

“How high does it go?”

Sentinel’s eyes smiled. “Fifteen kilometers straight up. All the way to the ion corridor!”

“That’s… a lot of stairs…” I uttered weakly, already sensing that I was in for a world of hurt.

“Believe me, you don’t wanna know the exact number of steps,” she laughed, turning away.

“…Actually, that sounds kinda neat!”

“Suit yourself. It’s—” The AI’s face soured. “…Never mind. I can’t remember it anymore.” She clenched her tiny fists. “Dammit, I liked that one…”

“Oh…”

She tossed her head to the side, the hem of her navy blue robe fanning out. “No matter! You can count them yourself if you’d like. We begin our ascent _immediately.”_

“I’ll pass,” I groused, making my way over to where the first of the steps lay. Hunching over, I experimentally tapped it with a fingernail. Whatever the exterior was made of, it wasn’t stone or metal. Much like the inner dividing wall, ornate carvings sprawled across its surface. I couldn’t help but wonder how long it took to chisel such things across the entirety of Asciydria.

The AGRA-NX took the first step, easily clambering up. Luckily for the AI, the stairway looked like it had been designed with giants in mind. Each individual step was large enough to pitch a tent.

_I mean… I guess that kinda makes sense. This is one of the ways to move tower guardians around, right?_

“Soooo…” I posed, staring up in trepidation. “How’s all this gonna work?”

The AI pointed straight up with a stubby finger. “Stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. There are many waystations built all along this path—pretty sizeable platforms intended to help Asciydria’s engineers rest up between maintenance shifts on the outer dividing wall. We can camp at those as we ascend.”

I squinted at her suspiciously. _There’s no way it’s that simple…_

“Unfortunately—” the AI began.

_Aaaaand there it is._

“—sections of the stairway have almost certainly collapsed,” she continued, frowning. “That means that we’ll have to traverse through the tower’s interior again—perhaps even multiple times.”

“Oh noooo…” I groaned in dismay, slumping against a tree trunk.

“Indeed. Hopefully we won’t have to enter the tower too often, though. As you’ve seen, it’s a bit of a _deathtrap_ in there.”

“No kidding…” I wearily pushed myself back upright.

Sentinel smiled hopefully. “We’ll be fine, administrator. Really. We’re ready to begin at your word.”

I lifted my chin, staring up the vertical wall. Clouds circled around the upper reaches of the pillar, cloaking the bulbous superstructure that made up Section B in a layer of white mist.

_This really goes all the way up to outer space…_

I stretched my arms, flexing my fingers. I knew that the journey would be long and hard, and that I might even get hurt a little along the way. But despite that, I was ready for it all.

Clasping Mitri’s necklace, I reaffirmed my promise to her.

_I’ll protect you all._

I hopped up onto the first step, the first of millions to come. And so, our vertical ascent of Asciydria Tower officially began.


	8. First Song

The last traces of daylight had bled from the starry sky when Sentinel finally spoke up.

“We’ve reached the first waystation. Let’s stop here for the night.”

I yelped, bumping into the AGRA-NX’s hindquarters; the machine had come to a sudden and jarring halt, taking me by surprise. It didn’t help that it was almost pitch-black out. Many of the stars above were blotted out by Asciydria’s sheer bulk, and the moons hadn’t yet risen.

“Hey, don’t touch my butt!” the AI cried out, giggling to herself. This was all just a _joke_ to her.

“I can’t see…” I complained, blindly flailing about. I was having trouble making out my own fingers in the darkness.

“Let’s shed some light on the subject, shall we?” The Type-14—or what I assumed was the Type-14, due to the metallic whine of its servomotors—lumbered past, footsteps receding into the murky darkness ahead. With a sudden pulse, the area was bathed in fluorescent light.

I had expected more from a so-called _waystation_ —structures and the like. A place for the laborers of old to sleep and eat at. Yet the crescent-shaped platform jutting out from the tower wall was devoid of manmade structures. Large enough for three Alto fighters parked nose-to-nose, the waystation was carpeted in a thick layer of moss and lichen and hosted several dozen hardy cedar trees and juniper bushes. The center of the platform sloped down into a shallow bowl, filled with crystal clear water and overgrown with reeds. The small pond teemed with life. It made sense; this must have been one of the few spots on the spire’s clifflike wall where aquatic life could flourish.

 _Pretty…_ I shuffled forward, captivated. What had once been a barren and soulless waystation had become a sort of miniature forest over the long centuries.

Pushing my way through the bushes, I stumbled across a small clearing amongst the overgrowth… and I gasped in shock when I spotted the charred remains of a campfire at the center. Surrounded by a circle of bricks and filled with blackened logs and piles of ash, the fire pit looked like it was less than a month old.

“Sentinel…!” I cried out fearfully.

“What is it, administrator?” The AGRA-NX’s enormous head pushed its way through the line of vegetation, flooding the glade in harsh light. The Type-14 was right behind it.

The AI paused. “Oh. Just a campfire. What’s got you jumpy?”

I pointed at the fire pit, trembling. “T—there’s other p—people up here…”

Sentinel tilted her head, perplexed. “Um… yeah? So what? It’s not like Mist’s Reach is the _only_ place where humans live. It’s just the largest and most organized settlement on Asciydria. You run into smaller enclaves and traveling nomads all the time up here.”

“Oh…” I mumbled, blood returning to my face.

“This should be a great place to set up camp. There’s just enough space to park both of my tower guardians, and there’ll still be room for your tent and bedroll, too!”

Glancing around uncertainly, I lowered my guard just a little. “Are you sure it’s safe…?”

She snorted incredulously. “Administrator, _look at me._ I’m the meanest, scariest thing on the entire tower. We’ll be _fine.”_

“…Okay.” I released a shaky breath, making my way over towards the Type-14 and the camping equipment stowed away in its saddlebags.

It didn’t take too long to set up camp, and I was glad of that. Even though we had only been climbing for a few hours, my calves were already hotly voicing their protest. Deadwood for the fire was plentiful amongst the nearby vegetation. With the help of Sentinel’s machines, I dragged a block of rubble in front of the fire pit to act as a sort of chair, making it more comfortable with the application of spare blankets and my bedroll. After rearranging the circle of bricks and setting up my pop-tent with the pull of a ripcord, our camp was set up.

I ate dinner in front of the fire, buried in my makeshift seat. One hand was wrapped tightly around my teddy bear, warding off the eerie animalistic cries in the dark. The other roasted a piece of meat on a skewer over the crackling flames.

A sigh of contentment escaped my lips. A hard day’s work, come to a close. A chance to rest my tired body and eat something delicious.

 _If I really don’t need to eat or sleep, why’s Sentinel letting me stop for the night, anyway?_ I posed the query to the AI, who paced back and forth through the air. Her tower guardians stood motionless at the far end of the glade, running on minimal power.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, a ghost of a smile on her lips. “This much physical activity is new to you. You’ll need a period of time before the biofluid making up your corporeal form rearranges itself to adapt, resulting in a body with stronger muscles and greater endurance. Until that happens, though, we’ll have to stop every so often to allow you to rest and recuperate, lest you hurt yourself.”

“Is that it…?” I pressed.

The AI looked uncomfortable. “It’s…  unsafe to travel at these lower altitudes after nightfall. There are many nocturnal avian predators that call Asciydria home, and many of them roost in the lower levels of the main shaft. Fire scares them off, so we’ll be safe.”

I gulped, swallowing hard. Casting a hesitant glance at the starry sky, I almost expected to see a winged and leathery creature swooping down to devour me. “Um… would it be safer if we hid inside the tower, then?”

Sentinel brayed a laugh. “Really? After getting out only a few hours ago and seeing the conditions in there, you want to go _back?_ If it were me, I wouldn’t trust the ceilings to not flat-out _collapse._ A cave-in probably isn’t the nicest thing to wake up to.”

“Mmh…” I conceded to her point, casting my eyes down. With a hiss and pop of seared meat, my dinner announced to the camp that it was ready for consumption. I dug in happily, savoring the meal. Prepared beforehand by Evecia, it was proof that even up here, on my own, I could still count on her and Mitri—my family.

I stared into the fire pit, watching the blue-tinged streaks where the flames were at their hottest. “Sentinel… now that we’re here, off on our own, can you tell me about the Grathnode Inferia?”

The AI nodded calmly, eyes locking on mine. “About time you asked. What do you know about it already?”

“Um…” I bit my lip, recalling what little I’d picked up on. “You said that it was a lot worse than Seven Bloodstains… and that it was when the old world died, right?”

Sentinel inclined her head. “That’s the gist of it, yes. It was an apocalyptic event of unfathomable scale, obliterating Ar Ciel’s land and sky.” She hesitated for a moment before continuing, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Can you guess which tower was responsible for it?”

I rolled my eyes skeptically. “Was it _really_ Ar Tonelico again…?”

“It was. Granted, this time it wasn’t their idiotic actions that led to it. The Grathnode Inferia was actually triggered because of the actions of Sol Cluster vigilantes.”

I gasped. “Wait, wha…”

She peered at me. “Remember Syestine, the region that was destroyed in the eruption that was Seven Bloodstains?”

“Well yeah, b—but…”

“In a way, I can understand their feelings,” the AI continued nonchalantly. “Ar Tonelico destroyed their homeland, their families. And so, the few survivors that made it out alive plotted vengeance.”

“They would have tried to destroy Ar Tonelico, then…” I surmised, deep in thought.

“Syestine’s avengers—members of a demihuman enclave known as the Teru tribe—did exactly that. Their members stealthily made their way to Ar Tonelico, aiming to silence it… _for good.”_

_And it all went wrong…_

“And it all went wrong,” Sentinel spoke on, voicing my thoughts perfectly. “The Teru made their way up through Ar Tonelico’s innards, eventually reaching the tower’s symphonic reactor. Once there, they severed all of the symphonic power lines—the leads that connect Ar Tonelico’s upper systems to its lower systems. The action completely destroyed the spire’s ability to regulate its own power levels.”

The AI gave me a hawk-like stare. “Administrator, do you happen to know what grathnode is? What it does?”

“Um…” I scratched my temple, bringing all memories where grathnode was mentioned to the forefront. “It’s… some kind of crystal, right? It’s an important tower component, and there’s also a bunch of it in my body.”

She nodded. “That’s right. Grathnode is a special crystal widely known for its unique property—the ability to amplify waves that pass through it, releasing them in a stronger form. Grathnode is a key component within Asciydria’s core systems, crucial to the process of amplifying song magic. The tower’s grathnode discs are what grant songs the bulk of their strength.”

 _Grathnode discs…_ I couldn’t help but think of those structures that I saw from the Apex—that beautiful pair of shimmering rainbow disks, spinning eternally in the frozen sky.

“In fact,” Sentinel pointed out, “that necklace of yours is made of grathnode. See the pendant and those smaller flecks in the beads? The rainbow coloring is a sure sign of the stuff.”

“W—wait, really?” I quickly unfastened the necklace, holding it in front of my eyes. The fractal shards of grathnode shone like fire. _Wow…_

“Continuing on, though,” the AI said, tossing a small stick into the hungry flames. The sight was strangely funny; due to her tiny stature, she was unable to carry much. “Severing the power lines trapped Ar Tonelico in a feedback loop, its systems producing more and more symphonic power without any way to release it.” She spoke grimly. “At that point, it was only a matter of time until the energy forcibly discharged.”

“And then…?” I pressed.

“And then,” she snapped her fingers, “the old world came to an abrupt end. You remember what happened during Seven Bloodstains, the widespread devastation that irreparably damaged Ar Ciel? Well… take that original ignition of energy, then multiply it by about _fourteen hundred billion._ That’ll give you about a _tenth_ of the pulse that was released from Ar Tonelico on that day.”

Sentinel’s face looked gray, her glassy eyes staring off into the distance. It was pretty clear to me that the Grathnode Inferia was an event that she remembered somewhat. “I’m exaggerating of course, but it’s no joke how much power was unleashed. When Ar Tonelico’s grathnode discs finally erupted, the majority of the energy was directed straight _down,_ into the ground.”

“Oh no…” I breathed, seeing exactly where this was going.

“For the second time in less than a decade, Ar Ciel’s mantle was penetrated by another wave of symphonic power… though this one was _magnitudes_ stronger. When this pulse met the cracked planetary core… it collapsed in on itself, crushed into dust.”

“No…” I gaped at her, wide-eyed.

“And not only that,” the AI continued, pointing up at the starry sky. “With the eruption of symphonic power, Ar Tonelico’s grathnode discs shattered, sending a cloud of deadly shrapnel in all directions. Not only that, it dumped an unquantifiable amount of superheated plasma into the upper atmosphere, which eventually spread across the globe.” She maintained her gaze upwards. “And that’s how the Blastline was created—a roiling sea of plasma in the sky.”

“But what about the core?!” I cried, leaping to my feet. “How can a planet even survive without a core?!”

She gave me a hard look. “It _can’t.”_

Suddenly drained, I slumped back into my makeshift chair. “So when you said that the world was ending… you really did mean it, huh. That Ar Ciel was coming apart at the seams… because of the planet’s core.”

“That’s right,” she confirmed. “Exactly right. Without a core, it’s only a matter of time until the planet runs out of energy. Entropy demands it. Once all the remaining residual D-waves in the mantle have dissipated, Ar Ciel will cease to exist.”

 _And that’s all gonna happen in ten years or less…_ I thought of Mitri, of Evecia, of Serafi. How Mitri likely wouldn’t live long enough to experience adulthood, or marriage. A profound worry blossomed in my chest.

“But this story isn’t over yet,” the AI surged onward. “The moment that Ar Ciel’s core collapsed, the planet’s crust began to splinter, opening fissures several kilometers deep. And from those fissures, a strange white mist began to emerge. A poisonous and corrosive mist, one that killed anything it touched, including _machines._

“It was called the Sea of Death.”

That simple title, now empowered by its terrifying origin, sent a tingle down my spine.

The AI cast her gaze down, pressing her tiny hands together. “And so, the story ends. It took a few decades for the Sea of Death to consume the entire surface, but when all was said and done, the only parts of Ar Ciel that rose above the toxic clouds were the tallest mountains and the amplification towers. Humans, Teru, every bit of plant and animal life, all driven to the very brink of extinction.”

The fire pit crackled suddenly, making me jump. “And that’s how the old world of Ar Ciel came to a tragic end—with death in the ground, and fire in the sky.” She fell silent, watching the stars.

The nighttime tranquility was suddenly broken by the unsettling echo of that strange pipe organ once more, sounding mournfully off into the vast distance. Bats circled above, their leathery wingbeats merging with the gentle sigh of the wind to form an unearthly orchestra, the likes of which I’d never heard.

Despite the AI’s solemn retelling of the past, I couldn’t help but feel a smile tugging at the corner of my lips. Something deep inside my soul wanted me to join, to add my voice to this ensemble.

So, while staring into the flames, I did.

I began to hum idly, a simple tune resolving in my head. My music had drawn the AI’s attention, but I paid her no mind. My foot tapped gently to the rhythm. The tune growing ever more complex, I began to mumble lyrics—lyrics sung in a language lost to me, yet one that I somehow innately knew. It was as much a part of me as my thoughts, my memories, my emotions. It was integral to my very soul.

 

“Fou ki ra idesy erphy mea,”

“Fayra ware tanta spiritum.”

_While I remember those of the past,_

_I dance with the flames of their souls._

 

And then a dim orange light ignited in my unsuspecting lap.

Startled, I realized that a tiny orb of flame—no bigger than a plum—had been birthed in my palms, pulsing warmly with life and radiance. The mote of light flickered and wavered, twisting itself into geometric shapes in response to my voice.

My eyes locked on Sentinel, disbelief written all over my face even as I maintained my song. The AI gazed back with a smile, giving a subtle nod of approval. “You’re learning.”

**———————————————————**

We broke camp at first light, when beads of dew clung to the tent canopy and the birds hadn’t yet awoken. I shivered in the cool morning air, exhaling puffs of white mist.

The gray sky was empty of clouds as Sentinel and I began our ascent once more, maintaining our usual formation. The AGRA-NX took the front, its wickedly-sharp horn leading the way. The Type-14, our cargo carrier, brought up the rear. I hugged the tower wall between the two hulking machines, my fingers gliding along its engraved surface.

As the day progressed, the conditions began to deteriorate. An icy wind picked up, chilling me to the bone. The sky grew angry, and churning clouds as black as coal rolled in.

At first, I had been worried due to the advancing cloud wall. Sentinel, however, reassured me that the incoming stormclouds were relatively harmless.

“The Sea of Death only hugs Ar Ciel’s surface,” she explained. “We’re _completely_ safe up here… at least from the poison, that is. No comment on the lightning.”

Though with the stormy clouds came a cold, driving rain that slowed our pace to a crawl and left us drenched. I hunched over, hood pulled up, cloak gathered around me as best I could while we ascended the slippery steps. Rainwater cascaded down the stairway, forcing me to wade endlessly upwards through what felt like a river. I could hardly see ten steps in front of me, the mists obscuring my vision.

As the wind grew louder, wailing like a banshee, as lightning began to flare up and thunder shattered the sky, our party was forced to come to a halt. Thanks to Sentinel’s echolocation, we managed to find a weathered notch in the tower wall that was barely large enough for a child; luckily, my small physical stature fit the bill perfectly.

I sat wedged in the narrow alcove, dripping water, teeth chattering. There wasn’t even enough room for a fire, and I was loath to take Cuddles out and expose him to the pervasive dampness. The AI’s tower guardians waited outside, completely motionless in the tempest.

Sentinel spoke in my mind, unwilling to even try shouting over the thunder. **_> A storm this bad has to mean that the ion corridor’s acting up again. This much wind and rain isn’t good for the outer dividing wall’s surface.<_ **

**_> Or for me…<_ ** I whimpered miserably, curled up in a ball to preserve what little warmth I had left. Hot tears mixed with icy rainwater on my cheeks.

The squall wore on until the next morning, leaving me with cramps and stiff joints as I hobbled back into the daylight. Met with the warmth of the morning sun, I couldn’t help but give a tired smile. But despite my discomfort, there was no time for rest. Sentinel, ever the harsh taskmistress, drove me onwards and upwards.

Over the next several days, Sentinel and I had to make our way through the tower’s decaying interior on two more occasions. We had no choice; huge swaths of the mighty staircase had fallen into the abyss, leaving nothing but twisted metal struts jutting out from the curved surface. And true to the amount of time it had taken us to traverse the silvaplate, the two of us were left wandering back and forth in the darkness for _days_. Though, as I grew more adept with my new ‘tower sense’—as I’d taken to calling it—our progression through those dark and gloomy stretches began to accelerate.

Even so, it took us almost a week to reach the first major landmark beyond the silvaplate.

“If this keeps up, it’ll take us a _month_ just to reach the prome wall!” the AI groused in the dark, clearly less than satisfied with the speed of our progress. I remained silent, eyes locked on a smudge of vibrant green that lay at the end of the narrow passageway.

At last we emerged from the stale and murky innards of Asciydria, dazzled by the brilliant light of the afternoon sun. I squinted, raising an arm to shield my face.

My eyes widened. “What… is this place?”

Sentinel and I stood at the end of a four-laned road, its asphalt surface shattered into millions of smaller slabs. Roots, ferns, and saplings burst up from crevices in the street, uprooting guardrails and rusted-out streetlights. The muted trickle of flowing water—a nearby stream—echoed from somewhere amidst the greenery, proof that this place was alive and flourishing. With so much water and vegetation, I wasn’t surprised to hear the sounds of small animals scurrying about in the underbrush.

It was an entire _city,_ long since abandoned and forgotten.

On both sides of the street, the husks of tall buildings loomed, completely reclaimed by nature. Many of them slumped over, ominously leaning into the road. Several more had collapsed, leaving nothing but heaps of rubble strewn everywhere. And others miraculously still remained upright, though were crushed and mangled in the grasp of gigantic tree roots. I turned my gaze upwards, stunned to learn that all the roots were part of the _same organism—_ a massive amalgamation of trees that loomed over the entire city like a guardian, shadowing all beneath its leafy canopy. It must have been almost a kilometer tall, with a similar width. Its trunk was thicker than the girthiest building. Beyond that viridian ceiling, the orbiting plates of the ion corridor seemed closer than ever before. And beyond that lay only sky.

I was transfixed by the ruins’ surreal beauty.

“This place you’re seeing,” the AI replied serenely, “is Asciydria Tower’s secondary skydock. It’s a large structure that juts out horizontally from the spire’s main shaft. And yeah, _I know,_ it’s a boring name for such a cool place. Anyway, commercial airships too large to safely navigate through the airspace in proximity to the primary skydock—all the way up in Section B—berth down here for the exchange of cargo, standard maintenance operations, or even full hull refits.”

“Mmh…” I murmured, following the root networks with my eyes. Something itched in the back of my mind; I couldn’t help but feel like we were being watched. Though, anyone would be jumpy in a place like this—pretty or otherwise.

The two of us carefully made our way along the mossy road, which ever-so-slightly sloped downward. A narrow stream cut its way through the center of the pavement, guiding us through the ruins. Sentinel’s tower guardians shattered the brittle tarmac with every heavy footfall, kicking up dust and leaves. Every step would release a dull metallic thud, echoing amongst the twisted architecture.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

I inhaled long and hard, eyes shining. The air was clean and fresh, filled with the earthy scent of petrichor that could only be caught shortly after a heavy rainfall. Leaves fell like snowflakes from the gargantuan tree overhead, carpeting every flat surface. Shafts of sunlight filtered down through the viridian canopy, dotting the tranquil place with pools of light.

I clasped the necklace at my collarbone, recalling what Evecia had said about travel—seeing new sights that you’d never previously imagined. _Stuff like this is what you meant, huh…_

The skyscrapers began to thin out as we made our way down the street, replaced with enormous warehouses and hangars that had seen better days. The pavement ahead was crisscrossed with rails, tracks for construction cranes scattered across the area. The enormous moveable structures now looked like desiccated skeletons, rotted out and covered with patches of lichen. Leafy vines snaked around their framework, slowly but surely pulling them apart. Large cargo containers lay strewn about like discarded toys, slowly melting away into rust under the elements. The hulking carcasses of derelict airships lurked amongst the cranes, some bigger than houses.

We walked further down the length of the secondary skydock, where the ground became marred with deep fissures revealing only sky below. Up ahead, _something_ revealed itself amidst the forest of hangars, fuel tanks, and decaying husks of airships.

“It’s gigantic…” I whispered, blankly staring up at the entity’s sun-bleached flanks.

It was the airship that I’d seen from below when I first gazed up at Asciydria Tower. Seeing it from a distance was one thing… but up close, there was no question in my mind that the airborne vessel was as big as a mountain. The entirety of Mist’s Reach could have fit comfortably within its cavernous hull, canyon and all. It hung over the abyss beyond the edge of the skydock, tethered to the spire by rusted mooring clamps and ensnaring roots from the tree above. Combined, they ensured without a doubt that the airship would never ply the skies again.

The vessel dwarfed every structure on the skydock, its mountainous flanks rising above the tallest skyscraper. It vaguely resembled one of the darts I’d used while hunting—narrow, sleek, and bristling with control surfaces. Large fins protruded from the vessel’s nose and tail. The airship’s skin—once stretched taut and glistening silver—was flayed in places, exposing the vessel’s steel rib cage. Loose panels of fabric flapped in the breeze. The remainder of the airship’s surface area was carpeted with moss. Through the vegetation that had sprung up across it, I could still make out traces of delicate gold filigree.

Beyond the derelict vessel lay only sky, stretching all the way to the horizon and beyond. Below, the Isles of Aria drifted on the cloud tops. I’d hoped that I’d be able to see Mist’s Reach from up here; I couldn’t deny the ache of homesickness in my gut. Though from this vantage point, I could only see the other side of the floating landmasses, opposite the human settlement. The wreckage of Sphilar Prism gleamed in the distance, catching the afternoon sunlight.

Awed by the incredible view, I spun around slowly to take it all in. “It’s… beautiful!” A frown crossed my face. “Wait… um, Sentinel, we didn’t need to come out here to continue climbing, did we? I mean, if this juts out from the tower, then we can’t…” I gestured upwards, shrugging helplessly.

“Your powers of observation never cease to impress,” she uttered sarcastically, rolling her gray eyes. At this point, she had performed the gesture so much that it was a miracle her eyeballs hadn’t rolled right out of her skull yet. “No, we _don’t_ need to come out here to continue upward. But there is one thing we need to do, so go ahead and set up camp! We’ll be here for a few days, after all.” Driving her point home, her Type-14 tower guardian dropped all of its bags at my feet.

Taking the hint, I scooped up the first bag. I grunted with exertion, struggling under its weight. “Nnng! Wh—why did we… come out here… then?”

Traces of a smile resolved on the AI’s childlike face. “Because there’s something _you_ need to do. Sure, you’ve dabbled in this subject, but it’s about time you learned it in its entirety. Tonight, you become a Reyvateil in full. Tonight, you learn song magic.”

**———————————————————**

_Mmmh…_ I gingerly leaned forward, reaching out to touch the airship’s frayed skin. It looked so fragile; I was amazed that it had held together for as long as it did. Even so, it was obvious by its condition that this vessel was only half the age of the rest of the tower. Comparatively, this thing was a _recent_ arrival.

 **_> Administrator?<_ ** Sentinel’s voice called from the boundaries of my mind. **_> The sun’s getting real low. We’ll start this off as soon as the campfire is lit. I can’t say I know much about actually pulling off song magic, since I lack the ability to create it, but I’ll do what I can with the knowledge I have. Where are you?<_ **

I hesitantly drew back, boots scuffing on the grooved metal floor. **_> I’m just… um, checking out that really big airship. I’ll be over in a minute!<_ **

**_> …Right. Take your time.<_ ** Her presence faded.

More than a little excited at the prospect of learning _literal magic,_ I debated for a moment whether to return immediately.

_…Nah. Just one more minute… I wanna see what these markings are._

I leaned forward once again, scraping clumps of moss from the derelict airship’s hull with my fingernails. Faded streaks of paint revealed themselves, exposing some kind of elaborate coat of arms—along with the vessel’s name.

 

_S.C.V. Tempest --- CVU 041_

_Neo Elemia, Sol Ciel Alliance_

_Commissioned in 3405_

 

Beneath the airship’s information lay its emblem—a beautiful pair of white wings encircling a golden halo. Rising up through the center of the ring was something that looked like some kind of tower, but I wasn’t completely certain.

However, I was certain of one thing.

_…What the heck is a Sol Ciel vessel doing here? I could understand if it was back from before the Grathnode Inferia, seven centuries ago… but this airship is only three hundred years old!_

It was then that I noticed that many of the tears in the vessel’s outer hull seemed… _off._ They didn’t look like they’d all been created through centuries of wind and rain. Many of them were perfectly circular, leaving the silvery skin around them singed.

 _…Someone shot at this airship!_ Bewildered, I craned my neck. There were dozens of them—no, _hundreds._ In the process of landing here, the vessel had taken an incredible beating.

 _I wonder if Sentinel knows what happened?_ Making my way back along the boarding ramp, I returned to solid ground. Now that I was aware of the centuries-old fight, I could see the signs—decay that wasn’t _actually_ decay. Burn marks on the walls, craters in the deck that punched all the way through the aerial dock. A rusty shell casing clinked beneath the sole of my boot.

Whatever had happened here three hundred years ago was an all-out _war._

 _Sentinel will know, I bet. Still, though… it’s so weird._ Shrugging, unable to glean anything else from the ruins, I began the short trek back to camp.

Though one other thing tugged at my mind—the misspelling in the vessel’s point of origin.

_El Elemia… it’s supposed to be El Elemia. That was the seat of power for Sol Ciel. So… what’s Neo Elemia? Is it just a spelling mistake, a different name for the same place… or something else entirely?_

Only the setting sun answered my query.

**———————————————————**

The twin moons had risen above the horizon when I finally arrived back at the campsite. It wasn’t far from the derelict airship, but the crumbling dock made hiking treacherous. I had to watch my step, lest I find myself going for a _second_ base jump off the spire.

I had erected my tent outside the doors of a collapsed hangar, sheltered beneath a copse of cedars that had grown wild with the absence of their gardeners. Sentinel had suggested digging a trench around the area to keep the rain out, and putting up a few blankets on the windward side of the camp to fend off the sky’s glacial breath. I had done both.

My boots scraping on the cracked asphalt, I rounded the corner of the dilapidated hangar. I noted that the campfire had already been lit, the flickering light like a beacon for small airborne wildlife. Bats flitted overhead on leathery wings, preying on insects drawn by the light.

“Sentinel… are you there?” I called out, peering into the gloom beyond the flames. The AI and her proxy tower guardians were nowhere to be seen.

“Oh!” she suddenly exclaimed, popping into existence near my tent. “Administrator, there you are.” She sat on the curved fuselage of a smaller tower guardian, the flying unit having been deposited there by its Type-14 carrier. The other drone—as well as the two quadrupedal machines—were nowhere to be seen.

I gave the tiny figure a curious look. “Sentinel, where’s the rest of your stuff…?”

“I have them out on patrol,” she replied, thumbing into the darkness outside of the camp. “I’ve detected familiar heat signatures all over the area—human life signs. There’s no question that people still live here, and I don’t want them getting too curious about our presence.” A smile tugged at her lips. “If they try and ambush us, I’ll give them a scare to last a hundred lifetimes… or _worse._ Anyway, are you ready to learn some song magic?”

“Song magic, y’say?” an unknown voice called from the shadows.

Sentinel and I both shrieked in unison, leaping into the air. The AI composed herself first; her eyes flashed. In that moment, I knew that the AGRA-NX was circling back at full speed.

The mysterious figure shuffled into view at the edge of the camp. Their lean body was hidden from sight by a cloak made from colorful textiles, tattered and frayed at the edges. The rusted barrel of some kind of rifle protruded through folds in the fabric; though it seemed like the firearm was at rest, slung over the figure’s shoulder.

The entity raised two gloved hands, gruffly speaking in a deep and scratchy voice that was unmistakably male. “Now, listen ‘ere. I don’t want no trouble, I just want to talk. I can help y—”

_Crack!_

An enormous white blur barreled out of the foliage, its teeth gleaming in the light of the flames. The stranger shouted with surprise as the tower guardian pounced, knocking him to the mossy ground. In the blink of an eye, Sentinel had the man pinned beneath the crushing weight of her most fearsome machine.

 **> DON’T. MOVE.<** Sentinel growled.

“I said I don’t want no trouble…” the man grumbled, struggling to get free. His face was obscured by a cap and ragged muffler.

 **> IDENTIFY YOURSELF,<** she barked coldly. The AGRA-NX lowered its head, coming nose to nose with her captive. The man didn’t even flinch. **> NOW!<**

“Sam,” he groaned, writhing in pain as the AI put more pressure on him. “Sam Noakes…”

“Sentinel!” I cried out, scrambling over. “You’re hurting him! He just wants to help…”

The metal monstrosity whipped its head around, glaring at me with glowing eyes. **> This is ** **_not_ ** **the time to be trusting of a complete stranger. He’s dangerous, administrator! He’s not one of your precious friends from Mist’s Reach, this is a fully-grown human! <**

“Not… human…” the man gasped raggedly.

That gave the AI pause. **> …Really?<** she uttered thoughtfully—though not letting off on the pressure.

 _…That does it. She’s gonna break his arms if this keeps up._ Squaring my shoulders, I marched forward, going nose-to-nose with the gargantuan machine. It could effortlessly kill me. It could headbutt me, swat me aside, blast me with the devious armaments the AI had no doubt squirrelled away into its chassis. But it wouldn’t. Sentinel had made that point abundantly clear; she could not willingly harm me.

“Sentinel,” I whispered harshly, trying to mask my timid nature. “I am Tower Administrator Sylphira. So please…” I exhaled sharply, _“back off._ That’s an order.”

I could have cut the resultant tension with a knife.

 **> Admi**nistrator…” the AI breathed, disbelief evident in her voice. Her tower guardian visibly flinched, averting its eyes.

The machine backed down.

I dropped to my knees, helping the stranger up. He grunted his thanks, massaging his forearms. They’d been crushed beneath the AGRA-NX’s forelegs. _I’m so sorry, Sentinel… I didn’t wanna have to do that. I wasn’t even sure if it would work!_

“Thanks, girl,” the man said, his voice muffled behind layers of fabric. “Didn’t think I’d be survivin’ a close encounter with th’ guardians. What’d ye say to drive ‘er off?”

I froze, mind drawing a blank. I hadn’t anticipated this part. I had helped him because I believed that it was the right thing to do. But now? I had no idea what to say, what to share and what to conceal. But I was certain of at least one thing; I wasn’t eager to receive anymore undeserved goddess treatment.

“She’s… my friend,” I stammered, looking away. “She listens to me.”

“…Why did you come here? What do you want from us?” Sentinel queried from the far side of the clearing, voice seething with suspicious hatred. Her holographic form refused to meet my gaze.

The man who called himself Sam pulled aside his muffler, revealing a haggard face that must have seen sixty or seventy years. His wrinkled skin was pockmarked and weathered, the kind of skin only found on one who had spent a lifetime outdoors. His green eyes, sunken deep into his skull, glittered with furtive intelligence. A thin layer of gray stubble covered his gaunt cheeks, and tufts of silvery hair protruded from beneath his cap.

He glared at the AI, rising to his full height. “I hail from Lyra Village. I came ‘ere to inspect th’ airships, and got trapped when that damnable energy shield came up a couple weeks back.”

 _The prome wall,_ I realized.

Sentinel laughed bitterly. “Yeah, _sure._ Lyra Village doesn’t even exist anymore! Dai destroyed it hundreds of years ago.” Her eyes flashed. “You’ll have to lie better than that, _Teru.”_

 _…Wait, this guy’s a Teru?_ I blinked slowly, perplexed. _I kinda expected something… different-looking. Sentinel said that these guys were demihuman, right?_

Sam shrugged, his emotions unreadable. “I’m livin’ proof that it’s perfectly fine. Lyra Village has ne’er been livelier, I’ll have y’know.”

“That’s… not possible…” she breathed, shaking her head vigorously. “It’s not… I’d know…”

I hesitantly stayed out of the conversation, utterly lost. _Dai? Lyra Village? What the heck… it’s like I’ve entered a whole new world again, with a whole new set of terms._

“Well, yer wrong,” Sam replied nonchalantly. “Anyway, I saw yer fire, and overheard what the two of ye were discussin’.” His viridian eyes fixed on me. _“You._ What’s yer name, girl?”

“S—Sif…” I stammered weakly.

“I see.” Sam’s eyes locked on the teddy bear that sat at my feet. “Where’re yer parents?” The Teru man examined me carefully. “Ye look to be… seven? No, eight years old. Yer too young to be off on yer own like this.” He crackled his bony knuckles. “It’s dangerous for a kid up ‘ere.”

“I—I came up here from Mist’s Reach to save the tower—for my friends and family,” I stated determinedly, deigning to tell the truth at least this once. “If Sentinel and I work together, nothing can stop us…!”

The Teru cocked his head, smiling slightly. “That’s quite th’ journey ye’ve taken up for one so young—and it’s actually why I came down ‘ere, looking for airworthy vessels at th’ request o’ my tribe. I’m bettin’ that th’ art of song magic would be invaluable for yer trip; that is, if yer seekin’ it.” The elderly man leaned closer, eyes gleaming in the light of the flames. “It’s a lost art. With th’ extinction of th’ singers of old, many songs have been lost to time itself.” He thumped his chest proudly. “My tribe’s village is th’ last bastion of singers—th’ only place left in this world where it’s still taught.”

“And you’re just gonna _teach_ her? Sure,” Sentinel spat angrily, struggling with herself. As strong as the AI was, her sheer force of will was unable to overcome her ironclad programming. I had given her an order, and she could not disobey it. “Maybe you’ve got _her_ suckered in, but I don’t buy it. What’s your angle? What do _you_ get out of all this?”

“Ah. Well…” the man shrugged helplessly, sinking onto a boulder next to the blazing campfire. “It’s like I said. Th’ old ways are dyin’. Perhaps that’s how it’s meant to be. But I won’t just sit quietly and let it fade into th’ darkness.” Determination resolved within the creases in his face. “If I can pass what I know onto the next generation—and to a _human_ at that—maybe I can coax a couple more centuries out o’ it before th’ art dies out for good.”

 _He thinks I’m a human…!_ I realized with a jolt. _I mean… I guess that’s fine. If I told him that I was a Reyvateil… well, the whole ‘goddess’ thing would start all over again. I don’t want that…_

“Now…” Sam moved, coming nose-to-nose with me. “Let Ol’ Sam get a good look at ye.”

I gasped involuntarily, leaning back. His gloved hands locked on the sides of my head. I withered under the force of his glare while he stared deep into my eyes.

After what felt like an eternity, he let go. “Strange...” he murmured, returning to his previous spot. “That’s an interestin’ eye color you’ve got there, girl. I’ve ne’er seen anyone sportin’ that particular hue… well, except for th’ pure-blooded clan members. Th’ ones descended straight from th’ highest-rankin’ o’ Reyvateils—who in turn came from th’ Sleeping Goddess herself.”

“Really…” I murmured, bemusedly making the connection between myself and the so-called Sleeping Goddess. _If only he knew…_ “Um… what was that for, though?”

The elderly man held up a finger, silencing my query. “Just checkin’ yer potential. You can learn a lot from someone’s eyes if ye know what to look for.” He nodded with approval. “Aye. You’ll do just fine—better than fine, actually.”

 **_> Sentinel…?<_ ** I called out in private, noticing that she’d remained uncharacteristically silent throughout the brief examination.

 **_> Just… do whatever,<_ ** she replied woundedly. **_> Call me if you need anything.<_ ** The AGRA-NX sat on its haunches, glaring balefully at the two of us from the shadows.

“I—I’m ready to learn!” I cried out resolutely, pressing a hand against my chest.

“Glad to hear it,” Sam snorted, laying his rifle in a patch of grass. “Now… I can’t claim to be th’ best teacher, but ‘ere it is.

“Th’ art o’ song magic is focused on two core parts; yer emotions, and th’ use o’ a language thousands o’ years old, created by th’ Old Ones to manipulate th’ energy permeatin’ Ar Ciel.” He spread his arms wide. “That language is called Hymmnos. You need to be fluent in it to master th’ way of th’ song.” His glare turned on me once more. “Do y’know Hymmnos, girl?”

I gave him a blank look. _Hymmnos…?_

 **_> Um…!<_ ** I sputtered frantically, addressing the AI. **_> Sentinel, help!<_ **

**_> Oh, so _ ** **now** **_you need my advice… <_ ** she grumbled, very much upset. **_> You’re a Reyvateil, and every single Reyvateil is programmed to both understand and speak Hymmnos fluently. In fact, you’ve already been exposed to the language a lot already. That… thing in the plasma bell spoke to you in Hymmnos. Those lyrics you sang at the campfire last week? Oh, and EXEC_IN=FINITY/.? Also Hymmnos. You just didn’t realize because of how innate your knowledge of it is.<_ ** Her voice flared up with anger. **_> Now please, administrator… leave me alone.<_ **

**_> I’m sorry…<_ ** I whispered, pulling away from the forlorn AI. Turning my focus back on the man Sentinel had called a Teru, I gave my answer. “Um… yes. I’m fluent in it, actually!”

His bushy eyebrows lifted. “That so? They sure teach ye well in Mist’s Reach.”

“Something like that…” I coughed nervously, averting my eyes.

“Then let’s begin.” the man leaned forward, displaying his gloved palm. “We’ll start with somethin’ straightforward; creatin’ a single spark o’ flame. Nonetheless, girl, since yer not a Reyvateil, yer power will never be truly strong. Nor will mine, nor anyone else. And that’s cause o’ our emotions. They’re… impure, conflictin’—not like th’ Reyvateils. Anyway, th’ best way to use th’ power o’ song is to combine it with _others,_ to merge yer voices together.” He folded his arms, raising his chin proudly. “That’s how we keep up th’ energy barriers that protect our village. Nothin’ can get past us singin’ together.”

“I get it…” I whispered, glancing down at my own palm. _I… I guess that a lot of this won’t apply to me, since I actually am a Reyvateil… but still, that doesn’t really give me a good idea of what my limits are. What’s possible, and what isn’t?_

“What were the Reyvateils capable of, way back when…?” I probed cautiously. “Were they really that powerful?”

Sam nodded eagerly, taking the initiative to toss a block of wood onto the campfire. “They were, girl. If ye can imagine it, th’ Reyvateils did it.” His eyes shone. “Some say they even created th’ whole tower from nothin’. Can ye imagine? The world we know, made with th’ power o’ song and nothin’ else.”

A thrill rose up within me. “Wow… really?”

“Wrong,” Sentinel muttered in a low voice.

The Teru man cast an angry glare at her. “Ye got somethin’ to say, _robot?”_

“I wanted to say that you were _wrong,”_ she shot back. “Asciydria wasn’t completely built by the Reyvateils. The tower already existed in an incomplete state prior to that.”

He snorted disapprovingly. “We don’t have anythin’ like that recorded on th’ Chronicle.”

“Well, it’s true!” the AI shot back fiercely. “This was all way back before your people immigrated here.” She turned her focus on me. “Remember last week, how I mentioned that Asciydria Tower was barebones when Ayrakii R&D showed up? Well, it’s true. Only the spire’s framework and a few core systems—namely the Orgel, the Apex, the ion corridor, and the Tower Administrator’s SH server—were assembled. Ayrakii brought with them their own SH server, hooked it up to the tower’s systems, then used Reyvateil workers to ‘sing’ the rest of Asciydria into existence. Over time, most of the old systems were replaced with updated, song-crafted ones. Less than two percent of the original tower still remains.”

I blinked, feeling that thrill rising once more. “No way… is something like that _really_ possible with song magic?”

She nodded firmly. “It is. Thanks to their Reyvateils, a construction project that took Ar Tonelico decades only took a few _months._ On the day we met, remember how I mentioned clothing generated via symphonic power? It’s the same concept here, just applied on a much larger scale.”

“Can we get on with th’ lesson?” Sam interrupted impatiently, scratching his forearms in a gesture I assumed was annoyance or discomfort. “It’s gettin’ late, and I’ve got work to do tomorrow.”

“Oh!” I bowed my head in apology. “Um… I’m sorry.”

“Right.” The elderly man gave a wry smile. “Song magic dates back to th’ days when nomads wandered th’ plains o’ Ar Ciel. Th’ very first singers were village shamans, usin’ it to summon rain, light fires, and th’ like. They did it by havin’ all the villagers singin’ together, which would draw magic right from th’ other side—th’ parallel place where all magic origina—”

“Uh, _no,”_ Sentinel cut in, rolling her eyes. “There’s a perfectly scientific explanation behind it, not all that superstitious mumbo-jumbo _crap._ Remember that lecture I gave you on sound science? Everything in the universe is made up of waves—which includes thoughts and emotions in the form of H-waves. If you know how to do it right, you can manipulate the waves making up the atmosphere, transmuting it into something different. Or, you can simply add something _new._ For example, adding additional water vapour to the air to create a raincloud.” She folded her arms. “Child’s play.”

“Now listen ‘ere…” Sam growled.

I could only lean back and sigh, resigning myself to an… _interesting_ evening.

I couldn’t really expect anything else; the evening wore on exactly as I’d feared. Much of what I was to learn was frequently broken up by arguments between the AI and the Teru man.

Though, things _somehow_ managed to work. Sentinel was highly knowledgeable as to the science of sound and the mathematics behind it all… but she had no personal experience in terms of using song magic. How could she, after all?

On the other hand, Sam was a man who knew very little about the mechanics behind the scenes, but he had decades of firsthand experience with song. Sentinel was logic, and Sam was impulse. And it was that delicate balance that led me to learn.

I had started small. Sam had provided an ancient piece of song magic once used by young Reyvateils, and Sentinel had helped me learn how to find the command for it inside my mindscape. It was the same one I had accidentally used when I created fire for the first time, so locating it wasn’t overly difficult.

“I’m ready…!” I announced earnestly, taking hold of the lyrics in my mind’s eye.

At the encouragement of the pair, I generated sparks from my fingertips, my crystal-clear voice echoing through the night. Though I had to be wary. I was cautious after learning of song magic’s potential… and not only that, I didn’t want to reveal my true identity to Sam. Though as the night wore on, after he had waved me off and shuffled out of camp with the vague promise of seeing us soon, I was free to practice to my heart’s content… at full power.

_No more holding back…!_

“How’s my little pyromaniac?” Sentinel questioned, her holographic body drifting over. Though the little AI had visibly relaxed after the Teru man departed, I still got the vague sense that she was on edge.

“I wanna try something else…” I said absentmindedly, staring into the flames. I could still remember how it felt— the heat, it flickering light in my palm. Energy that I had _created._

“Why are you hiding your identity from him?” the AI questioned, ignoring my answer.

I gave a helpless shrug. “It just… didn’t feel right. Back at Mist’s Reach, I didn’t feel like a deity… and I still don’t, even after what happened in the plasma bell! I’m still just a kid…”

“Perhaps.” She drifted closer, setting down on my shoulder. “But whether you feel like it or not, that’s what you are. You _are_ Tower Administrator Sylphira—for better or for worse—and nothing can change that. Might as well own it.”

“Maybe…” I mumbled, flexing my fingertips.

“But enough of that,” she changed the topic. “You want to try something else? How about finding out what medium you’re attuned with?” the AI forced a grin. “That should be fun.”

“Attuned… medium…?” I questioned.

She nodded. “That’s right. Though every Reyvateil has the ability to utilize any kind of song magic—not including special cases like EXEC_IN=FINITY/.—each has an affinity, a medium that they’re best at generating. Said medium can be _anything,_ from matter to energy.” Sentinel spread her palms, displaying two holographic orbs—one that seethed with a miniature inferno, and another that crackled with lightning. “Most Reyvateils are attuned to the usual suspects—fire and electricity. But,” she smiled wryly, “some lucky ones get mediums that are more… _interesting.”_

‘’…Like?”

“Gravity, magnetism, sound, fusion…” She tapped her lip, thinking. “Pretty much along those lines. Really, the only thing you’re limited by is imagination.”

“So how do I know what mine’s gonna be?” I asked eagerly, fidgeting in my seat.

“All you’ve gotta do is _sing,”_ she replied. “Every Reyvateil should have some kind of basic attack—materializing a ball of energy or matter or whatever. It’s only a weak little novice song, so it won’t be very _strong,_ but it’ll at least give you an idea of what you’re oriented to.” The AI moved off, giving me some room. “All you need to do is sing. The spell should default to and spawn the medium most easily drawn to you—the one you’re attuned with. It’s as easy as that.”

“I’ll do my best…” Closing my eyes, I reached deep inside myself, searching for the well of raw energy that was the source of my strength.

“Just remember what Sam taught you,” she reassured. “You’ll do fine.”

 _Okay._ I lifted my arm, palm upraised. My fingers twitched with uncertainty; I was unsure of what I’d be getting. _Let’s do this…!_

And so, I began to sing.

I sang of the howling winds that ravaged the sky, of the devouring flames that roared before my eyes. I sang of the rushing water, the brilliant circle of light in the sky that we called the sun—every single source of motion or energy that I could think of. All the while, I focused on drawing strength from within, transferring it into the palm of my hand.

Something began to surge in the air before me.

Hairs along my arm stood up, and the foul odor of ozone assailed my nostrils. And then, before I knew it, an orb of pulsating light ignited in my hand. Its color shifted erratically, rolling from one hue to the next like the changing tides—violet, indigo, blue, then back again. Charges of electricity arced through the air like snakes. Some shot into the flames, others burrowed into the ground. Others still rocketed up into the starry sky, never to be seen again. I could feel its raw heat, but at the same time it wouldn’t burn me. It _couldn’t._ I could feel the power of my creation in the atmosphere, like the air was thick with it.

I stared in curiosity at the pulsating sphere, maintaining the song lest my creation fade away into the night. _W—what did I create?_

Sentinel drifted closer, blinking slowly. “That’s… new,” she muttered. “Cut the flow.” I obeyed, stilling my voice. The strange orb of light flickered and faded from existence.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Um… what was that thing?”

“Interesting…” the AI whispered, staring into the fire pit. Then she turned, eyes locking with mine. Purpose shone within them. “The energy best attuned to your psyche is _plasma.”_

“Plas… ma…?”

“Indeed,” Sentinel nodded, deep in thought. “I don’t think I’ve actually ever _seen_ plasma as a specialization before. That’s because by nature, one needs to manipulate several energies simultaneously to generate it in the first place—namely various forms of heat and magnetism to create the ionization required. And to boot,” she added, “to make a mass of plasma that size on your first try, without having any prior training or experience… that’s _unbelievable!_ Your body must be coursing with surplus energy. It’s a little _scary,_ actually.”

Then she shrugged. “Though… I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised. You’re a Reyvateil Origin, after all! Naturally your power would be vastly greater than that of normal Reyvateils. I’m sure that the other Origins are equally unique with their songs.”

“Mmh…” I felt like there were unanswered questions that had been on my mind, but I was unable to reach them through the haze of excitement. _I can make plasma!_

For a time I sat there, my voice rising over the crackling flames. One orb sprung from my palm, then promptly collapsed while I tested my energy output. Satisfied, I created one anew. Then another. And yet another. Soon enough, I had five small spheres of plasma orbiting my head. The crackling balls of superheated matter gave off much more luminosity than the campfire, bathing the glade in a cool blue light.

“Wow,” I breathed, cutting off the flow.

“…Administrator,” Sentinel uttered solemnly, changing her tone.

“Yeah?” I glanced over at the AI, who had demurely seated herself on a boulder off to one side. She stared into my eyes, her voice quivering with apprehension.

“D—do you,” she breathed, looking away. “Do… um, do you trust me?”

“Do I trust you…” I mouthed, frowning. _What’s she mean by that all of a sudden…?_ “Is it because of what I did to you earlier? I’m so sorry, but you almost broke Sam’s arms!”

“Yes, that’s why…” she mumbled, wringing her hands. “I didn’t mean to hurt him…” Her words were _very_ uncharacteristic of the Sentinel that I saw on a daily basis.

“…Okay.” I took a moment to ruminate, watching the smoke billow into the starry sky. Leaves rustled in the dark, caressed by a gentle breeze. Something in the campfire snapped in twain with a dull _crack._

 _Sure, she’s helped me out so much~ She saved my life back when I fell from the Apex… and back in the plasma bell, she sacrificed most of her tower guardians to save the tower. Though to be fair, I guess a lot of that was just self-preservation. …Does she actually even_ like _me? Or am I just a means to an end?_

 _Now that I think about it… she’s been pretty mean to me. Granted, she kinda acts mean to everyone, and maybe I take the brunt of it because I spend the most time with her… but still. She’s impatient, rude, and cruel._ I couldn’t help but recall how the AI had soaked me in a raincloud for fun, and how many bruises I’d accumulated during her uncaring movements.

“…No,” I admitted.

Sentinel released a stifled, pained gasp. The small AI’s head drooped, face hidden amidst the forest of jet-black hair. It was quite clear that my answer wasn’t the one she expected, nor wanted.

Then she lifted her head, forcing a smile. “…Good.” Her voice was subdued. “It’s… better if you don’t, anyway. I’m not a very good person, after all.”

“W—wait…” I stammered weakly, rising to my feet.

She turned away, gazing out into the darkness. “I’m gonna go run some patrols for a bit. You should get some sleep… Sylphira.”

And then, without another word, she had vanished into the night.

“Sentinel…” I whispered.

**———————————————————**

When I woke up the following morning, late into the day, the AI was nowhere to be found.

**_> Sentinel…?<_ **

Silence.   

 _Dammit._ I crawled from my tent, accompanied by a trail of yawns. Sunlight beamed down on my exhausted face. The sun was already high in the sky. I had barely gotten any sleep, due to the fact that I had practiced my song into the wee hours… but it was worth it.

I recalled with a smile the events of last night. My fingers twitched, still remembering the warmth from cradling that small, flickering orb. _Yeah… it was definitely worth it._

 _But… Sentinel…_ I took a good look around the campsite, peering into the crumbling ruins of the nearby hangar. Aside from dozens of large footprints, the AI’s tower guardians were nowhere to be seen.

 _I get it… she’s avoiding me._ With a heavy sigh, I relit the campfire to make some breakfast. _On the bright side, I can explore a little bit! And I can practice some more on my own time._ Eager for the day ahead, I slid a pan over the growing flames.

I gulped down my breakfast in short order, downing a fried egg and a few salted cuts of meat before making my way into the ruins with a spring in my step. My exhaustion had evaporated in minutes, lending more credence to Sentinel’s words—that I didn’t even _need_ sleep.

My face soured. _Speaking of…_ I thought back to last night. What the AI had asked of me, and how I responded. She had asked me to be honest, and I _was._ If she didn’t like my answer, then perhaps she shouldn’t have been so mean in the first place.

I leapt over a block of concrete, running down the asphalt path. The air felt cool on my exposed face and hands. _Sure, she’s got problems… I know that much from when I saw into her network. But that doesn’t mean that she has to take it out on me!_ Grumbling, I lobbed a horizontal line of plasma at a nearby stone column with a swing of my arm and a few scraps of Hymmnos from my lips. Superheated material splashed against the stone, burning right through it in milliseconds. Neatly bisected, the pillar toppled over with a dull _thunk._

 _Oh…_ I hurried over, inspecting the devastation. The pillar’s edges glowed orange, dripping into a puddle of molten rock. _I should be more careful… it’s not like I wanna go around breaking stuff._ I couldn’t really explain it. For some reason, generating plasma made me feel energized. My skin was practically _seething_ with heat, leaving me with an incessant drive to release it.

I tapped my lip, thinking. _It’s nice to know that I can shape it, at least! That’s probably me subconsciously manipulating the magnetic field… or something. That sounds like what Sentinel would say. I wonder what would happen if I tried feeding more energy into it, though…?_ A tiny smile made its way across my lips. _I guess it’ll be safe enough if I fire it off into the sky._ Anticipation had rooted itself in my thoughts, driving my legs as I hurried back to the edge of the skydock where the Tempest was moored.

I picked a flat spot that was relatively free of rubble and clear of crevices that penetrated all the way through the platform. It hadn’t been easy to do so; by the time I had found it, I was practically trembling with anticipation. The air was silent and still, puffy clouds hovering motionless beyond the spire’s bulk. _Perfect._ I lifted my arm, reaching out to the sky. _Here goes nothing…!_

The lyrics tore from my throat like a gale-force wind, vowels spat out at a rapid velocity. To me, it felt like every word was pre-ordained, part of a script that I instinctively knew. All I had to do was mentally voice the intent to use it, and the resultant lyrics would flow into my mind like water.

 

“Was paks gaya, xe biron sphilar sheak mea,”

“Kapa fayra dest denera yor.”

_Please guide me, oh heart of the sun,_

_Your liquid flame will burn away the darkness._

 

Electricity arced from my fingertips, the air expanding into a glowing blue smear before my eyes. The blob of nascent plasma grew and grew, until a pulsing orb the size of my head hung in the air. Normally I would cast it at this point, but this time I maintained it. My voice only grew louder, echoing off the broken walls.

I suddenly stiffened, sensing a _massive_ presence touching my mind. It came right from the core of my being, from a part that had been silent up until recently. Raw energy flowed from it like a conduit, rapidly flooding throughout my small frame.

_Whoa! What’s happeni—_

**_EXEC_HYMME_PLASMASPHERE/._ **

The orb suddenly swelled to thrice its size, giving off a harsh glare that was like staring into the sun. I felt my hair stand on end, and choked on ozone… interrupting the lyrics. And yet, the song didn’t falter. My voice continued to reverberate through the air, no longer born of my vocal chords. It came from everywhere and nowhere at once.

It was the tower, singing for me—singing in my absence. It had to be. I vaguely recalled what Sentinel had said to me, what felt like a lifetime ago. _She said that song magic… didn’t need actual song to be used. She was right! That means that this… is what it means to be bolstered by the tower._

“Incredible…” I whispered, fidgeting with mild discomfort at the strange prospect of having my voice come from something that wasn’t _myself_ —but an enormous wave of excitement washed over me, burying that feeling.

With a flick of my hand, the sphere of plasma shot up into the sky like a bullet. The mass had swollen to at least the size of my body thanks to all the energy it had devoured. Though, it wouldn’t last. With the distance between us growing, the molten orb began to collapse. Violet clouds of residual particles trailed behind the orb as it dissipated away into nothingness, leaving streaks of color across the sky.

I was overwhelmed by elation. “That was so awesome…!” I cried out jubilantly, hopping in place with boundless energy. “The coolest ever! Mitri and Evecia would be so impressed!”

And then the feeling _vanished._ I came to a sudden halt, confused.

 _What the…_ I frowned, tapping my forehead. _What was that? Did the song… I wasn’t excited or hyper before or anything… and all of a sudden, I was! And then it just vanished…_

I released a sudden gasp of realization. _H-waves…! Sentinel told me that those are what make up thoughts and feelings. When I started to sing that song—PlasmaSphere—it twisted my emotions to get the proper H-wave response that would maintain the song. It_ forced _me to experience those feelings._ The concept was discomforting, to say the least.

My thoughts were rudely interrupted by the pitter-patter of falling pebbles. Dislodged rubble, somewhere nearby. Caused by _someone_ nearby.

In the blink of an eye, I had my utility knife in hand. My gaze had locked on the burnt-out shell of a building—where the sound had come from. “W—who’s there?!”

Only silence answered my call. A breath of dust drifted from one of the ground-floor windows.

“I—I know you’re there!” I cried out determinedly, shuffling closer.

 _Wait… why am I even using this thing now?_ I stretched out my arm, palm facing the origin of the mysterious sound. _This is_ way _more effective._

Something shuffled in the rubble—something big. Before I could lay eyes on it, however, it barreled off into the undergrowth, the sharp crack of snapping branches following as its footsteps receded. But… I recognized those footsteps. Those heavy, metallic ones.

Experimenting, I triggered my tower sense.

**_Shift. New search terms; SENTINEL_aiCORE_ **

I smirked, seeing the glowing dot that represented one of the AI’s tower guardians, fleeing the scene. _I knew it. She’s still keeping an eye on me…_

 **_> Sentinel,<_ ** I spoke softly. **_> I know you’re listening in, and I know you’ve been watching what I’ve been doing. Please… talk to me.<_ **

…

It was a long time before she responded in a breathy voice. **_> Adminis—no, Sylphira. Sylphira, you were right. I don’t deserve your trust, or your friendship, or anything…<_ ** The AI released a muffled sob, which carried over through our connection. **_> I—I know I’m a fucking mess, but still… it’s no excuse for what I did to you. I’m really gonna try to be better, I promise…<_ **

Without a moment’s hesitation, I replied. **_> Sentinel, I forgive you.<_ **

**_> B—but,<_ ** she sputtered bewilderedly, **_> h—how can you just say that so easily?! After how awful I was to you… you should hate me!<_ **

I folded my arms, examining the path the AI had created while she fled. **_> Well, I mean… it’s fair if I give you a second chance, isn’t it? You said sorry, and you promised to do better… so it’s okay!< _ ** I allowed a tint of steel to filter into my voice. **_> …Just so long as you meant it.<_ **

Sentinel sniffed. **_> Thank you… Sylphira. I’ll try.<_ ** A note of pride entered her voice. **_> By the way… congratulations on your first piece of true song magic!<_ **

I blushed despite myself. **_> Thank you…<_ **

**———————————————————**

_There you are…_

Sighting in on my target, I flung a dart. It whistled through the air… and cleanly missed its mark, thudding harmlessly into a tree trunk. The small animal I had been hunting scampered away fearfully, vanishing into the underbrush.

A vexing frown took form on my visage. _That’s… not normal. I haven’t missed a target since that day when I was first learning how to do it!_

I sighed, rising from the cluster of ferns I had been hiding in. Striding over, I retrieved the wayward projectile, giving it a thorough examination. There didn’t seem to be any visible damage to the exterior, and a quick pulse of my tower sense revealed that it was still connected to the AI. From here, I couldn’t detect any issues.

 _Maybe just… a rogue crosswind, then. Or some kind of electrical field jamming the guidance?_ Shrugging, I hiked through the vegetation, hopping over loose bits of rubble that had fallen from the deteriorating ruins overhead. Occasionally I saw flashes of color in the empty windows, a silhouette rushing off in a branching-off alleyway—more like _ghosts_ than actual people. But Sentinel’s words and an accidental run-in with the elderly Teru man earlier had told me otherwise.

“Aye, there’re tribes o’ people here,” he had snorted, gazing over the derelict airships with a disapproving scowl. “Long as ye don’t bother ‘em, they won’t bother ye. When I first got ‘ere, I couldn’t even talk to any of ‘em; they just fled. They’re fearful o’ strangers like you and I.”

After traversing about five hundred meters along the dock—hopefully beyond the range of that supposed electrical anomaly—I hunched down in the juniper bushes, laying in wait for prey. It wasn’t long before something scurried by in the distance—something with silvery-gray feathers. The avian creature hopped along, pecking at the dirt beneath its talons. The bird vaguely resembled the chickens I’d seen in Mist’s Reach, though this one was clearly more skyworthy.

Narrowing my eyes, I threw the thin metal rod. It cut through the air easily, homing on its target with uncanny accuracy… and then veered off in a wide arc at the last second, bouncing off a vine-covered wall. My quarry squawked in fear, flapping its wings wildly before vanishing into the skies above.

“Are you kidding me…?” I grumbled morosely, shuffling over to where the dart had landed. Squatting down in the dirt, I gingerly picked up the metal rod, glaring intently at the object all the while. _I don’t get it… There’s no way that it’s just a really big electrical disturbance, or Sentinel and I would’ve been able to feel it. And it’s not wind, cause this is a sheltered area. That means it can only be…_

**_> Sentinel, can you hear me?<_ **

She replied distractedly, stumbling and slurring on every word. **_> …Oh. He… llo… Syl… phir… a. What… do… y—<_ **

**_> …Sentinel, are you okay?<_ ** I quickly cut in, concerned about her wellbeing.

 **_> Oh!<_ ** she exclaimed, suddenly flustered. **_> Yeah… yeah, I’m fine. I was just concentrating on other things. What’s going on? Are you finished with your hunting trip already? I replenished our water supplies.<_ **

The polished metal of the dart gleamed in the sunlight as I rolled it between my slender fingers. **_> Well,<_ ** I asked, **_> are you getting me to rely on my own skill now?<_ **

**_> Um… what do you mean?<_ ** The AI sounded genuinely perplexed.

I waved the dart about. **_> The guidance on your… flechette thingies doesn’t work anymore! They keep veering off on their own. You’re messing with it to get me to do it on my own, aren’t you…?<_ **

Sentinel froze for an incredible _thirty seconds,_ leaving me wondering if she would even answer at all. **_> …Yes. You’ve advanced to the point that you don’t need me anymore. You’re a real professional now!<_ **

Her reaction was… odd, to say the least—and it didn’t sound entirely _truthful,_ either. Though it had only been two days since she’d had her mini-breakdown, and I wasn’t eager to pressure her until she had _another._ If Sentinel didn’t want to talk about why she didn’t have time to manage the darts’ guidance, then that was it.

 **_> …Okay,<_ ** I said lamely, laying the issue to rest. My fingernails dug into the dart’s metal casing, searching for the seam I knew was there. Locating it, I popped the tiny hatch open and disabled the automated guidance function. _Easy enough, I guess…_

Soon enough, I was spearing prey just as well as I had been when using the AI’s guidance system. For a time I wandered through the woods, replenishing my food stocks. Sentinel had warned me that there were no more significant landmarks all the way up to the ion corridor. We wouldn’t be able to stop climbing again for quite some time.

I strode into camp two hours later, dragging my catch with me. The sun had already begun its slow descent to the horizon, and by the time I finished cooking and cleaning the meat, sunset was well underway. A cool breeze heralding the approach of nightfall whipped through the camp, the canvas material of my tent rustling in tune.

Sentinel arrived minutes later, coming in on one of her tiny airborne drones. The tower guardian settled into the dirt next to my boulder, its turbine engines rapidly powering down.

“Hi there, Sentinel…!” I greeted her shyly, setting down an armful of branches and a tiny pouch of tinder into the circle of rocks that made up our fire pit.

“Hi, Sylphira…” she mumbled back, apparently deep in thought. Even though she had been calling me by my real name for the last couple days now, it still continued to throw me off. The name felt _alien_ to me—not like Sif.

At the command of my song, the pillar of wood and stone burst into flame. The relief I felt was immediate, the coming darkness warded off and the cold held at bay.

Seating myself, I held a piece of meat on a stick over the hungry flames. “So we’re leaving tomorrow… right?” At this point, we had been here for a total of four days. In that time, I’d completed what Sentinel had wanted me to do—learn song magic. While she had apologetically pointed out that I wasn’t truly powerful _yet,_ it would only be a matter of time.

“Something like that…” she murmured from atop her inert machine, listlessly staring into the fire.

I tentatively reached over… then recoiled, having second thoughts. “Sentinel… are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Okay…” Chastised by the brusque response, I turned my eyes elsewhere, struggling to stare at anything but _her_ . Funnily enough—as different as I’d originally thought we were—we shared one obvious character trait, though the AI’s was buried deep. By nature, we were both extremely timid. It didn’t exactly make for the most interesting small talk between us, but I didn’t mind. I could have stared up at the stars in silence for _hours,_ just imagining what lay in wait out there.

Hours had passed before Sentinel spoke, just as I had been debating on heading to bed. “…Wanna try out one of those new pieces of song magic?”

 _“Yes!”_ I exclaimed eagerly, bolting upright.

Over the last three days I had practiced my song incessantly between meals, both under my own strength and while bolstered by Asciydria Tower… and though PlasmaSphere—the sole ‘true’ song in my arsenal—was powerful, it was the only one I had. While the AI had reassured me that there were more, she had also brought up my condition—whether I would be able to emotionally handle the sheer amount of energy pouring into my soul.

Sentinel had explained it to me two days ago. “I can’t really speak from personal experience… but song magic is all about emotions, not raw power. The more you _feel,_ the more powerful your songs will be. To become truly powerful, you need to discipline yourself and control your feelings. That’s especially important for when you get around to more advanced songs, which require a tighter focus and more complex emotions simultaneously. We don’t know yet if your disconnection attacks will disrupt that, just like what happened when you first tried to sing the Extract.”

Having learned that, I sought to utilize song magic whenever I could, determined to master the flow of my emotions—hence the nonstop training sessions over the last three days. And just this morning, _something_ from the core of my being—the conduit which I had since realized was my tower connection—had emerged.

 

 **_SYLPHIRA_ANSUL_ASCIYDRIA_** **_———————— You have 2 new message(s)._ **

**_SYSTEM NOTIFICATION // Song magic directory updated. New recommended command(s) added!_ **

**_SYSTEM NOTIFICATION // Warning! Abnormal levels of wave activity detected in unit’s triangular nuclear loop. Please see a technician at your assigned maintenance bay as soon as possible._ **

 

**_> > Song Magic Directory (default commands):_ **

**———————————————————————————————————**

**_EXEC_HYMME_ENERGY=BALL/._ **

**_EXEC_HYMME_PLASMASPHERE/._ **

**_EXEC_HYMME_SOUL=LIGHT/._ **

**_EXEC_HYMME_ERASER=BARRAGE/._ **

**_> Show further commands (1016 remaining)_ **

 

**_> > Song Magic Directory (unique modifier):_ **

**_Note: The EXEC_SHIFT modifier is unique to the Asciydria Tower SH server and cannot be used elsewhere. EXEC_SHIFT commands are far more fluid than default commands, and can be altered dynamically by the user mid-song to suit the changing battlefield. Hide this message in future Y/N?_ **

**———————————————————————————————————**

**_EXEC_SHIFT_DIMENSIONLANCE/._ **

**_EXEC_SHIFT_NULLGRAV/._ **

**_EXEC_SHIFT_BREAKERSTORM/._ **

**_EXEC_SHIFT_HYDROSTORM/._ **

**_> Show further commands (16 remaining)_ **

 

**_> > Song Magic Directory (Extract commands):_ **

**———————————————————————————————————**

**_Error: File(s) corrupted._ **

 

My eyes had widened with pure shock, faced with the prospect of having access to over one thousand songs. _Oh god… t—there’s so many!_

Needless to say, I was bouncing with excitement at the time… though there had been a flicker of horror, gnawing at the back of my mind. I couldn’t help but notice that most of them sounded like songs designed to maim or kill—as if I were made to be some kind of _weapon._ The odd warning notification had left me mystified, too.

_Abnormal waves… what does that mean?_

**———————————————————**

“What’s this one called, anyway?” the AI queried.

“DimensionLance…” I replied vaguely, eyes squeezed shut. I had descended beneath a veil of concentration, allowing me to aim my tower sense at _myself._ After all—as much as it unnerved me—I was a part of Asciydria, and it was a part of me.

This was something new for me. Though I had utilized PlasmaSphere countless times already, it had originally activated _by accident._ After that, it was a simple matter to replicate the thoughts and feelings I had experienced at the time. I didn’t know what it was like to cast something _new._

“Any luck?” Sentinel posed.

“Shh!” I grumbled, huffing. “Just… lemme concentrate…”

A distant siren call sprung from the night air, echoing around us. It stemmed from both everywhere and nowhere at the same time. No… it wasn’t an echo—an echo of an echo, perhaps. Faint, almost undetectable… but without a doubt, _mine._

I smiled. _Gotcha._

**_EXEC_SHIFT_DIMENSIONLANCE/._ **

A gaping hole opened up directly above my head, blacker than the starry sky. A strong wind snatched at my clothing as the local atmosphere was sucked through the portal, into the vacuum which must have awaited on the other side… _wherever_ that was.

But it wasn’t a one-way street. Something came _out._

With an unearthly howl, an object viciously tore its way out of the rift between dimensions. Its conical shaft shone with light, polished white flanks sparking with electricity. Four thrusters on the object’s rear ignited with a deep rumble that resonated in my bones.

_I know that shape…!_

The AI blinked slowly, frozen in horror. “…No way. Nooo **oo way! REALLY?! <**

I grinned stupidly, staring up at it with jubilation in my heart. _It’s nice to see you again…_

An ethereal clone of my old friend—none other than the fabled rocket lance that had enabled us to escape the silvaplate—hung in the air, phasing in and out of reality

“You’re shitting meeeee…” Sentinel groaned, burying her face within the folds of her robe. “This is just a _really_ dumb nightmare, right? You did _not_ just pull out a copy of that useless… spear thing!”

“The rocket lance is back for good!” I cried out gleefully, waving it around. At my touch, it solidified into an exact duplicate of the one I had used before. The massive object was utterly _weightless_ to me.

A familiar voice spoke from the gloom. “I… I shoulda known right from th’ start…”

Sentinel and I spun around in unison. My lance tumbled from my grasp, slipping through my fingers as it flickered out of this plane.

Sam was _there,_ barely visible in the light of the campfire. His green eyes shone with wonder. The man looked like he had grown twenty years younger.

“…Well then,” Sentinel breathed, shrugging helplessly.

The elderly man stepped forward, eyes locked on mine. I backed up frantically, pressing my spine against the crumbling hangar wall. He continued to approach until he was standing over me, staring down with tears leaking down his cheeks.

“…Hi, Sam…” I coughed awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

“I shoulda known…” he mumbled, repeating himself. “When I saw you from afar on th’ first day, I had a flicker o’ suspicion… but then I realized that yer age was wrong, and yer hair was different…” He shook his head wearily, cap falling low over his forehead. “I… I see it now.”

Sam lifted his head, eyes shining with an inner fire. “Sif… yer th’ Sleeping Goddess—none other than _Tower Administrator Sylphira…!”_

The Teru man dropped to his knees, groveling at my feet.

“…Oh dear,” I uttered feebly.


	9. Ascent

A cacophony of bird calls sounded through the twilit sky as a flicker of fire ignited on the horizon. I was awake to watch while the sun lifted above the cloud tops, casting wild shadows through the wispy canyons and peaks. Even now, it was hard to believe that something so beautiful could be so dangerous.

“Sylphira?” The familiar voice of the AI emanated from behind. “It’s time. Everything’s packed up and ready to go.”

“Yeah…” I murmured, staring down at the Isles of Aria. Somewhere down there lay Mist’s Reach— _home._ I wanted to return. I missed my friends, my family. But I couldn’t. Not until I made sure that they would all be safe.

I gave my teddy a lasting squeeze before setting him in my pack, turning to face my companion. “I’m ready.”

Sentinel grinned, patting my shoulder reassuringly before taking her usual place on it. “Next stop, the ion corridor! That is, just as soon as we get past your new _number-one fan.”_

A weary groan passed through my lips. “This stinks…”

The AI’s procession of tower guardians and I made the kilometer-long trek back to the tower wall, pushing through the foliage still damp with morning dew. We reached the main shaft just as the sun’s warm rays began to filter through the treetops.

The gaping tunnel leading into the maze-like interior of the main shaft emerged from the foliage up ahead, pervasive shadows clinging to its edges. A sour and musty stench emerged from the doorway, ushered by a wind echoing in a low moan that sounded more like the wails of the damned than regular air circulation. After days spent recuperating in the brightly-lit city ruins, the lightless bowels of Asciydria only looked more ominous and inhospitable than ever before.

“Goddess!” a voice exclaimed from behind, accompanied by the tramp of approaching feet.

Sentinel wordlessly grinned, watching me from the corner of her eye.

“Don’t say a word…” I grumbled, reluctantly turning to face the man.

Sam slowed to a halt, gasping and wheezing. The elderly man had really worn himself out chasing us across the entirety of the aerial port. Gathering himself up, he dropped to one knee.

The AI tittered softly. “What are you waiting for, Tower Administrator? Go address your _loyal subject!_ He came all the way here just to bid you farewell!”

I gave the tiny figure an eyeroll. _She’s enjoying this, isn’t she…?_

His hand snaked around both of mine, grasping them tightly. I could feel every wrinkle in his skin, drawn taut against my own. For the first time, I noted with shock that brown-tinted _scales_ covered the Teru man’s knuckles, extending along his forearms and vanishing into the depths of his baggy sleeves. Colored like tree bark and rough like a lizard’s, they gleamed dully in the sunlight.

“Goddess,” he breathed reverently, bowing his head. “I’m sorry that I can’t go with ye on yer journey o’ ascension. I came ‘ere on behalf o’ my tribe, and I can’t just abandon th’ task they gave me. Th’ best I can do is meet th’ two of ye should ye reach Lyra Village.”

“What a shame indeed,” Sentinel said sarcastically, suppressing a giggle. Clearly, Sam’s over-the-top worship was a great source of amusement to her. This was Mist’s Reach turned up to _eleven._

I leaned back, struggling to extricate my hand from the Teru man’s iron grip. “Um… it’s fine! This is gonna be a… long and dangerous trip, anyway. Oh, and please… can you just call me Sif or Sylphira? And lastly… please, let go!”

“Lady Sylphira,” he pledged, doubling down. His grasp didn’t weaken one modicum.

“Just… regular Sylphira!” I yelped, writhing around. “Let gooooo…!”

“So why’d you come down to inspect the airships, anyway?” Sentinel asked, mirth sparkling in her charcoal-gray eyes. She was dragging this out for as long as possible.

“Cause o’ th’ tremors half a lunar cycle ago,” the Teru man replied, glaring at the tower wall. “Th’ spire almost collapsed then and there, and so th’ elders decided that we had to be ready to make an exodus. I came down ‘ere to see if any vessels from th’ old world might be salvageable.” His broad shoulders sagged. “So far, it’s not lookin’ good…”   

Sam’s grip suddenly tightened, making me wince in pain as his viridian eyes locked on mine. “But with th’ _Goddess_ herself, workin’ to save th’ world… there’s no doubt in my mind that she’ll deliver us all from th’ brink o’ destruction.”

“Okay, okay, I get it!” I cried out, unable to break free. _What’s with this guy?!_

“I think I just might be warming up to you, Sam,” the AI giggled, her machines taking the first few steps into the waiting shadows. “Ready when you are, _Lady Sylphira.”_

“I hate you…” I mumbled under my breath, resigned to my fate.

The elderly Teru man gently squeezed my hand. “Should ye deign to visit Lyra Village, Lady Sylphira, there’ll be an energy shield stoppin’ ye from enterin’. It’s maintained by th’ strongest singers in my tribe.” He bowed his head, showing respect. “To open it, all ye have to do is speak th’ secret phrase.”

“Secret… phrase…?”

Sam nodded vigorously. “Aye. Once ye reach the barrier, speak _‘Rrha ki ra, sosu herra spiritum elle zodal ciel, accrroad nozess guatrz yor’_ with yer heart an’ mind. Th’ barrier will part before ye.”

“Mmh…” I mumbled, engraving the phrase into my mind. _‘On the honor of those from a dying world, I mean you no harm.’_

“And that’s all I can give ye, Lady Sylphira. I wish ye th’ most sincere of luck on yer journey. We’ll meet again.” The Teru man leaned towards my hand, lips puckered.

He was going in for the kiss.

The dreaded _kiss._

“Waaaah!” With a swift tug, I was free. Without so much as a word, I sprinted after Sentinel into the darkness, leaving the ruins of the secondary skydock—and my new Teru ‘friend’—behind.

“You know what? I like that guy!” the AI said in a congenial way, ribbing me playfully.

“…S—shut up.”

**———————————————————**

And so, the long stretch from the secondary skydock to the ion corridor began. The climb was long, mundane, and uneventful, with scenery that barely changed despite the ever-increasing altitude. Yet even as monotonous as the journey was, the danger always remained, lurking in the shadows like a hungry predator.

Parts of the endless staircase could potentially give way at any moment—and did on several occasions, due to the AGRA-NX’s enormous weight. It was lucky that Sentinel’s tower guardians were equipped with jump jets. Due to the staircase’s poor condition, we often had to detour through the spire’s interior. Even though I could easily navigate through the dark and musty corridors, that was a lot of time wasted on horizontal travel when we were supposed to be making _vertical_ headway.

As each insipid day drew to its close, we would halt at the nearest waystation. Much like the first one we had visited, the others were devoid of structures yet completely overgrown. Some were nothing more than windswept meadows, tall stalks of grass swaying back and forth in the breeze. Others were buried in dense vegetation much like the coniferous forests spread across the Isles of Aria, and others still were almost completely flooded with water. Yet no matter what, no matter the conditions, we would always come to a halt and and I’d light my campfire. It became a sort of evening ritual, almost.

Every night, before those roaring flames, I would practice my song—preparing for that fateful day when I’d have to sing EXEC_IN=FINITY/. to save Asciydria Tower. It was more than just that, though. It was to save Mitri, Evecia, the people of Mist’s Reach to prove that I was worthy of their trust again… and for Sam, and Sentinel too. I would do this, to save them _all._

With that ultimate goal always in the back of my mind, it was gradually becoming harder and harder for me to think of myself as a mere child.

The AI would watch as I practiced, keeping an eye on me with her machines while her own holographic body stared up at the stars. She never said so much as a word while I practiced—never praising, never admonishing. Just watching silently, no doubt making notes on the speed of my growth and comparing them to how long it would take us to reach our goal. Ultimately, I would have to be capable of singing the Extract by the time we reached the SH server. If I was unable to, then acquiring it in the first place would be _meaningless._

Though while I worked, while I practiced self-discipline with the aim to master my emotions, while I practiced my third song—a healing command called Soul Light—Sentinel grew more and more withdrawn. Every night her brow would furrow in concentration while she focused her attention _elsewhere._ She grew distant, slow to respond to my queries. It was pretty evident that something was troubling the little AI, and her own stubborn insistence that she was fine wasn’t conducive to my own desire to help her. All I could do was keep practicing, with a sliver of hope that she would open up to me.

As we wound up that stairway, our altitude ever-increasing, structures anchored to the upper areas of Section C began to enshroud the main shaft. The sections of architecture sheltered us from the elements while we climbed. Though, it was a double-edged sword; while the assault from the wind and rain had ended, a whole _new_ kind of torture had begun at the hands of the mistral artifice.

“I can’t take it anymore!” I exclaimed in the dead of night, jamming additional scraps of cloth into my ears in a lame attempt to ward off the punishing waves of sound beyond the thin walls of my tent.

Sentinel laughed from outside; her drones had been stationed around my shelter, striving to give me as much protection from the aural assault as possible. “Hey, you were wondering what this thing was, right? Now you know firsthand!”

That haunting wail of pipe organs I had often heard in the distance from my place on the Isles of Aria… we had finally reached its source—and up close, it was _deafening._

A gargantuan complex of silvery tubes—each one wider than a building—dropped down from above like gigantic stalactites, blotting out the sun. Their cylindrical shapes were engulfed in a quilt of moss, as well as an odd widespread plant that sent out a cloud of seeds every time a vibration rippled down the length of the tubes. During the day, the air would be filled with the small plants’ children, drifting on the wind.

But now wasn’t the time to ruminate on _foliage._ Not with my slumber being disturbed yet again.

 _The mistral artifice,_ I thought to myself, reflecting what I had learned from conversations with the AI as well as from my own forays into the outer reaches of the tower’s systems. _It generates symphonic power from the wind. Altogether, it produces just under two percent of all the energy Asciydria Tower outputs. The rest is done by the Orgel and smaller power-generating devices like generators and solar collectors. The system is vital… but real noisy up close. How the heck were people supposed to work around these?!_

At dawn, we broke camp. My pace had quickened, such was my desire to escape the cacophony of sheer noise. It took several days—several days of plugged ears and _pure hell_ —but at last, we left the mistral artifice behind. My ears rang for _days_ after that.

Yet things only grew more difficult. The higher we ascended, the more twisted and mangled the exterior maintenance stairway became. It brought our rapid pace to a screeching halt.

“We have no choice,” Sentinel growled in resignation. “We’re gonna have to make our way up through the inside.”

Traversing through the interior of Asciydria was no longer as punishing; I could now pick my way through the winding corridors and across the harrowing maze of catwalks as if I’d done it a million times before. Even so, it still took far longer to make vertical headway than simply climbing the stairway outside.

Days dragged on endlessly, blending into weeks through sheer tedium—so much so that there were occasional nights where I flat-out _forgot_ to sleep. The calendar turned over as the year 3770 drew to a close. Sentinel announced the advent of 3771 with the squeak of a party blower, a shower of holographic confetti, and a dry “Hooray!”

We marched onwards. The muscles in my legs hardened, my respiratory system grew stronger. I felt my stamina noticeably increase. My frail body was forced to strengthen and adapt to the unending climb upward.

And every single day, bit by bit, the rotating plates of the ion corridor drew inexorably closer.

Then one day, the boredom came to an abrupt end.

**———————————————————**

It was an unremarkable day, like any other. A light breeze rushed up the steps behind us, urging me on. The sun sat high in the sky, having finally shifted from behind the tower’s superstructure overhead. A thick blanket of cloud hung over the Isles of Aria; only the knife-like shape of Sphilar Prism rose above the mists, the only shred of proof that solid ground existed out there.

I strode purposefully up the staircase, no longer broken against them like waves on a rugged coastline as I once was. My hand trailed along the blackened and pockmarked wall of the spire. My fingers were splayed out, lightly tracing the geometric patterns engraved into the steel.

Sentinel’s AGRA-NX led the way, its wicked horn posed to impale any and all potential threats on the road ahead. The smaller Type-14 light cargo transporter tailed behind, now much lighter on its feet. In the time since I’d first learned how to use song magic on a daily basis, I’d discovered how to create freshwater from the atmosphere itself. I no longer needed to keep a supply of it, and so it was discarded.

“What about food?” I had asked, watching the river of water vanish down the steps. “Can I learn how to make that, too? To create my meals from nothing…?”

The AI had shaken her head. “Theoretically, it’s possible… but in practice? No one’s ever managed to pull it off. Creating life from nothing with song magic would be _frightfully complex._ It’s easier to just hunt and forage—or in your case, to forgo eating entirely.”

My tummy growled as if in answer to my thoughts. _Oh…_ I thoughtfully reached into my pack, extracting a small package wrapped in dried leaves. Licking my lips, I dug into the crushed paste of herbs and meat, savoring the sweet and spicy flavor.

I sucked my fingers clean, allowing the packet of leaves to drift off in the breeze. My eyes locked on Sentinel—or rather, the large armored behind of the AGRA-NX up ahead.

My brow creased with a frown. The little AI had been silent all morning, not even bothering to generate her holographic body. To say that her inaction was unusual would be a gross understatement, as she seemed to be quite fond of going around with a physical form—even going so far as to simulate lip movements and project facial expressions that matched her emotions. For a digitized being, such actions would normally be wholly unnecessary.

“Sentinel…?” I probed cautiously.

Her response came after an uncomfortably-long delay. “…Sylphira.”

I bit my lower lip, jogging up to walk alongside the monstrous tower guardian. “I know I asked before, and you’ve told me that everything’s all right… but are you _sure_ you’re okay? You seem kinda… off.”

The AI released an exasperated huff. “I’m fine, really. I’ve just been thinking about things more than usual lately, that’s all.”

My attempt to get something out of her having failed, I relented with a sigh. “Okay…”

 _I could always straight-up_ order _her to spill the whole truth. Whether it’s out of pride, shame, or something else, she’s hiding something all the same. But… it’d make me a horrible person to take advantage of her programming like that. She’d never forgive me._

“You’re not gonna let this go, are you?” she groused, irritated.

“If you’re refusing to talk about it, that means it’s something that’s bothering you!” I shot back, waving my arms about. “You wanna help me, _fine._ I might still be a dumb little kid who barely knows anything… but I’m the Tower Administrator, and you’re my friend. So please… let _me_ help _you_ every once in awhile!”

The AGRA-NX blinked slowly, coming to a screeching halt. A single enormous eye laid on me, penetrating deep into my own. Sentinel snorted suddenly. “And so they say, our administrator grew three sizes that day.”

“…What?”

“You just got bigger,” the AI said plainly.

“Wait, really?!” I hurriedly lifted my palms, amazed. “Um, I don’t feel any different…”

“Check your clothes!” she exclaimed. “Don’t they feel… tighter or something?”

I frowned, troubled. “Now that you mention it…” I tugged at my sleeves, noting how my wrists were left uncovered by the fabric. My toes ached, constricted in my too-small boots. “H-how much bigger did I get…?” I said weakly.

“It’s not that bad!” she laughed, emerging at last from her tower guardians. I couldn’t help but notice the millisecond of lag between her voice and her actual lip movements. Something was up. “You only went up a little bit—from 127 to 135 centimeters—and now I’d put you at maybe… ten human years old. Eleven, tops. So hey, you’re almost back to your starting point at least.”

“Great…” Recalling what we had previously been discussing, I snapped back. “…Hey! You can’t just… pop a surprise like that on me just so we can get past an awkward conversation topic! I have _eidetic memory,_ remember? It’s not like I’m gonna forget what we were talking about.”

The AI was unable to hide her look of dismay. “…I knew that.”

“Why can’t you talk about it…?” I pressed. “What are you afraid of?”

“I’m n **ot afraid of it! <** she cried out indignantly, glaring back.

“You said ‘it,’” I countered, seizing my chance. “That means there _is_ something! It’s because your systems are slowing down, right? Because you lost too many tower guardia—”

 **> W—whatever!<** the AI sputtered, folding her arms with a frustrated huff. **> Why can’t you just drop it, Sylphira? It’s not like it’s visibly impeding my performance or anything, so why should you even care?! This is ** **_my_ ** **problem, not yours. <**

“If there’s a chance of it endangering you, then I…”

 **> No. I don’t want it.<** Sentinel stubbornly insisted, lowering her gaze before muttering in a low voice. **> You ** **_can’t_ ** **help me, anyway. <**

I swallowed hard, wanting to push further but reluctant to do so. I didn’t want to risk having her shut me out completely. That wouldn’t do either of us any good—especially since the two of us were more or less dependent on each other. “Okay…”

For a time we climbed silently, trying to ignore the other’s presence. Clouds scudded by, the furthest ones dark in color and crackling with lightning. The distant storm mirrored how I felt inside. I had ruined it.

The AI released a pained gasp. **> S—Sylphira…<**

Her hologram vanished like a switch had been thrown. Both tower guardians ground to a halt. The AGRA-NX’s servos creaked as the monstrosity keeled over onto its side.

It all happened in the space of less than a second. One second she was here, and the next, she was _gone._

“Sentinel?!” I cried frantically, rushing over to the inert machine. My hands grasped the enormous tower guardian’s neck, digging into the metal while I tried to shake her back to consciousness.

“Sentinel, what happened?! Wake up… please, wake up!”

Warmth pulsed against the surface of my palms. Heat emanated from the AGRA-NX’s mechanical innards, and tiny lights still blinked along its flanks. The machine wasn’t dead, but its controller was absent, busy, playing a prank… or in danger.

And judging from the fear in her voice in the moment before she vanished, it was quite clear which of the four it was.

“Sentinel?!!”

With mounting panic, I hurried down the steps towards the Type-14. The cargo carrier’s legs had given out, leaving it sprawled across the stairway at an odd angle. Like the AGRA-NX, the tower guardian was still active, but traces of Sentinel were nowhere to be found.

 **_> Sentinel! S—Sentinel, where are you?!<_ ** Seeing nothing in the physical, I shifted to the digital front.

Something was profoundly _wrong_ with the connection we shared. The edges of my mind—the location she normally occupied—was now home to a curtain of mist, hiding the little AI’s reassuring presence. Try as I might, I couldn’t brute-force my way through it.

 **_> SENTINEL!<_ ** I shrieked desperately into the void.

My heart pounded in my breast, dizziness taking over. My one and only companion was _gone._

 _Wait…_ My eyebrows knitted together. _Maybe if I… I promised myself that I wouldn’t do this again without her consent… but she might actually be dying! I don’t have a choice._

Sucking in air, I reached for my tower connection.

**_Shift. New search terms; SENTINEL_aiCORE_ **

The familiar rush of wind, the pitter-patter of stardust grazing my nebulous form assailed my senses as I was extracted from my body. I brought my determined gaze to bear, searching for those filaments that I _knew_ had to be there.

_S—she can’t be dead. The tower guardians would’ve shut down if she had. I refuse to believe it. But what happened to her, then…?_

My sensors locked on a software packet, a twinkling star in the vast distance—one of her largest machines, located in the bowels of the mistral artifice. It was a model I hadn’t seen before—some kind of massive mobile computing device. Nonetheless, the machine was buried under hundreds of meters of rubble. Even so, it was the first lead I had to go on. From here, I could access anything within the AI’s dwindling network.

I drifted closer, brushing up against the bundle of interlocking programs. Leaning in, directing all of my concentration, I peered into the depths of Sentinel’s inactive mind.

Everything was _dead_ —no, not exactly. Upon second examination, the flitting smears of colors that made up the AI’s thoughts and emotions shivered ever-so-slightly, flicking in and out of reality. The signal timings were distorted, nodes refusing to acknowledge each others’ traffic.

 _It’s… static!_ I realized with immense relief. _She’s not dead, she’s just frozen! Something’s locking up all her processing power. But what could be doing that to her?_

Thinking back, I recalled how torn up her software had appeared during my first accidental foray into Sentinel’s mind. Comparing that mental snapshot to the current state of the AI’s network, it wasn’t long before I discovered a glaring discrepancy.

 **_> There’s a growing blob of corrupted code in here… or something along those lines,<_ ** I muttered to no one in particular. **_> Whatever it is, it’s big enough to completely lock up Sentinel’s functions. But where could something like that even come from…?<_ **

Something tingled in the back of my mind.

 **_> Cael, Serafi… everyone back on the Isles of Aria—the humans. What did you do?<_ ** I whispered softly, horror-filled eyes locking on the shredded bundle of software that marked the crashed Alto we had left behind in Mist’s Reach. It glowed an angry red, feeding a stream of corrupted code and garbage data into the AI’s crippled network. This _had_ to be the culprit behind Sentinel’s current state.

I approached the wrecked fighter, gingerly picking my way between connecting filaments, the ties between various tower components that allowed them to mesh and interlock and operate as part of a gargantuan superstructure. Up close, I could tell that the human villagers had already done a number on it. Though I couldn’t physically see the disabled aircraft, I could still sense its systems—error reports on damaged internals, ruptured plating, several server banks that had been gutted and removed… and something truly _nasty._

I pushed into the Alto’s systems, grimacing in pain. It was like a volcano in here, heat radiating off its damaged programming. The digitized walls of the aircraft’s systems expanded and contracted like a living, breathing thing, angrily thrashing in the presence of the new intruder in its systems— _me._ Though being the Tower Administrator had its perks; the malicious software couldn’t touch me. Attacking me directly via my SH server would require penetrating Asciydria Tower’s fortified layers of firewalls and antiviruses, and a simple automated program was incapable of doing so even if I couldn’t directly defend myself.

 **_> Now I get it…<_ ** I breathed, sifting through the damaged files. **_> The humans were scavenging for parts… just like Sentinel said they’d do. But while they were doing it the humans accidentally triggered some kind of hacking deterrent—a worm. A nasty piece of software meant to choke intruding systems with garbage data and replicated copies of itself.<_ ** I recalled what Sentinel had said about the Alto when I’d first boarded it back in Mist’s Reach. **_> She said that the fighters weren’t originally tower guardians, didn’t she? That means that she added them to her network later on… so if an Alto’s hacking deterrent were to be activated, it could potentially eat away at her from the inside, unable to be stopped since she can’t self-modify. That’s where I come in, I guess…<_ **

I drew back, focusing my attention on the worm’s expansion. Dismayed, I saw its path of destruction. It hadn’t consumed much of Sentinel’s mind yet, but it was replicating _alarmingly_ fast. Every new tower guardian it assimilated was a new launch platform for further attacks. **_> …But how the heck am I even supposed to fix this?! I might be a robot, but it’s not like I know anything about doing brain surgery on an AI! It’s not like I can just turn her off and on again.<_ **

A horrible idea came to mind. I swallowed hard, faced with an unpleasant and unethical decision. **_> …Maybe it’s not about fixing what’s been infected, though. Maybe it’s about… saving what’s healthy—amputation.<_ **

There wasn’t time to debate the ethical implications. The intruder in Sentinel’s network was growing exponentially fast. If I didn’t act immediately, the little AI—my only friend up here—would be too far gone to be saved.

Drawing back from the crippled Alto, I made my way to a particularly dense cluster of infected tower guardians near the silvaplate. My sensors locked on the tenuous threads connecting the individual parts of Sentinel’s mind—threads that were oh-so brittle and fragile.

**_> Sentinel… you’re gonna kill me for this. And I’ll deserve it.<_ **

Allowing raw instinct to take over, I drew up the scant few cyberwarfare suites I could muster on a moment’s notice. Hopefully, it would be enough. I organized and compressed the various programs into a specialized executable, a finely-honed blade aimed directly at the heart of the tumor spreading through Sentinel’s network. I brought it down directly on top of the largest cluster, severing the cancerous mass of tower guardians from the rest of the AI’s mind.

One fragment stubbornly hung on, however. A small part of Sentinel clutched the infected packet tightly, refusing to let go of the data swirling within—a precious memory, perhaps.

_I’m sorry..._

I meticulously tore the software bundle apart, obliterating the connection. Inadvertently, a part of my own consciousness grazed against it. The mass of code churned like water, bubbling up and washing over me.

**_> W—Wha…?! What’s happ—<_ **

**———————————————————**

**Calling…**

_Please pick up, please pick up…_ I ground my holographic teeth, absentmindedly keeping my camera lenses locked on every speck of local air traffic. These days, it was mandatory; any one of the incoming vessels could’ve been a troop carrier or scout from Sol Ciel. Many of the smaller outposts on the Aria Peninsula’s perimeter had already gone dark, leaving us blind and without an early-warning system. It was only a matter of time—days at best—until their vanguard force arrived.

I’d already experienced a number of intrusions into my network. They were rudimentary at best and quite simple to defeat, though they were naught but probes for getting an idea of what I was capable of. They were the opening moves in a larger gambit, and so I couldn’t let my guard down. There was no room left for mistakes—not since everything to the north had been reduced to a volcanic wasteland two years ago.

The telemo beeped.

“Hey there, turd,” a familiar, soothing voice spoke from the other end.

A small smile made its way onto my face, a tingle of warmth blossoming in my core. I made certain to translate that into a blush on my avatar’s cheeks. After all, we could see each other through cameras mounted to the little devices.

“You know you’re not supposed to call me that over public channels!” I giggled, partitioning off a section of my psyche to maneuver a supertanker into a berth up at the secondary skydock. It was no small task—the aerial port was chaos today. An endless stream of refugees filtered in from all directions, distancing themselves from the foreign armies bearing down on us. Asciydria’s airspace was utterly clogged by vessels fleeing the frontlines—from mercantile airships to passenger liners to hastily-built one-seater aircraft that were just as hazardous to fly as what the pilots were fleeing from.

Sol Ciel had promised over the airwaves that civilians and those who surrendered peacefully wouldn’t be harmed, but who could trust them after Seven Bloodstains?

The man laughed suddenly. It was a warm, hearty rumble that made me feel… at home. “The hell are they gonna do, fly all the way out to Metafalss and clap me in irons for _name-calling?_ The higher-ups that aren’t dead yet have bigger things to worry about.”

I huffed, folding my arms. He was right. “Still, though! You shouldn’t tempt them.”

“Whatever.” He playfully shrugged. “So, what’s with the call? I thought you’d be running ragged with all the micromanaging you’ve gotta do. Aren’t you still dealing with refugees and those network probes?”

Something tickled at the furthest reaches of my mind; one of the smaller vessels had crashed into the half-built spire’s exposed endoskeleton. I took a moment to divert firefighting and medical drones to the area. “Who says I’m not doing that as we speak? It’s… pretty crazy over here. Everyone’s scared; you can practically taste the fear in the air. There’s food shortages, riots… but somehow everyone’s keeping it together! I’ve got to hand it to them; the humans work pretty well under pressure. They’re handling logistics, and that new tower guardian controller is taking care of the rest. I’m just overseeing things for now and keeping an eye out for Sol Ciel vanguards.

“Anyway, though…” Eagerness entered my voice. “Um… I—I called because I wanted to know what it was like. You can see it from where you are, right?”

The man craned his neck, peering out of an unseen window. “Yeah. I tell you, Sentinel… it’s _incredible._ You’d love these mountains, they’re way bigger than what we’ve got back home. The new tower over here is… I don’t even have the words to describe it, honestly. I can even see Sol Marta on really clear days!”

I sighed wistfully, clasping my hands together. “M—maybe I’ll get to see it myself someday…”

“Sure you will!” he said reassuringly, touching the screen. “Just keep behaving, be your usual turd self, and they’ll give you some more privileges in no time… just so long as you lay off on the pranks. You’ll see.”

“You… you really think so?” I asked hopefully, leaning in. All my life, I’d wanted to see the world. Where I was now… I felt like a fairytale princess, locked away in a tower and forbidden to ever leave.

“Absolutely!” the man nodded, grinning lopsidedly in a way that felt _so_ familiar to me. Then his face grew serious, taking on an air of sadness. “It’s funny… sis always wanted to travel, too.”

A haze of confusion filled my mind. “…Who?”

He shook his head sadly. “…Never mind. You wouldn’t know her.”

“Oh.” An awkward silence descended over the two of us.

The man snapped back up, all smiles again. “Right, I wanted to ask… how’re the tests going, anyway? Are they still trying to keep your growth in check?”

I inclined my head, pouting. “Yeah…. They think I’d gonna go all power-mad and take over the world if I didn’t have my restrictors on.” _It’s not fair… It’s not like I wanna hurt anyone! I just want to do what I was made to do._

His eyebrows lifted. “They seriously said that to your _face?”_

A blush made its way across my cheeks. “N—not exactly…” I admitted shamefully. “I kinda… hacked some camera arrays and speakers in the labs so I could see what they were talking about…”

“Sentinel…” He rolled his eyes. “That’s the opposite of what you should be doing, alright? I know it’s hard— _she_ didn’t do too well with figures of authority either—but you’re never gonna get anywhere if you fight this. Understand?”

“Yeah…” I mumbled, staring at the floor.

“How’s dad?” The man changed the topic.

“My creator…?” I blinked slowly, thinking back to when I’d last seen him. Not only had mister Layne granted me sapience, but he was also the father of the man on the other end of the telemo line.

“He’s busy as ever,” I told him, locking a single camera on my creator’s hunched-over back. “Right now he’s up at the Apex with mister Hadren and the others, figuring out how to streamline the binary field’s software.”

“Mmh… the old man’s still trying to help Hadren wake up the administrator, huh?”

“Yeah. They wanna use her as leverage to—” I frowned, words trailing off.

Something was coming.

A number of barely-perceptible radar signatures emerged from the cloud wall to the east, coming in high over the sea. Radar was all but useless, thanks to all the jamming measures set up around Asciydria Tower’s perimeter. Annoyed at being forced to use such a low-tech measure, I locked a single camera lens on the leading aircraft, effortlessly tracking it.

Zooming in, I caught a glimpse of the marking on its flanks.

My eyes widened. _“No…”_

The man’s jaw hardened. “Sentinel, what’s going on over there?”

“I knew it! It’s Sol Ciel!” I exclaimed fearfully, immediately sounding the alarms. Great klaxons rang out across Asciydria’s skeletal bulk and the extensive military base at its anchor. A squadron of fighters rose from the airfield in under a minute, angling their noses to join their brethren already on track to meet the incoming airships. Even though drills had been run and rerun day and night for the last several weeks, they wouldn’t be fast enough to join the fight—not by a long shot.

Lines upon lines of hostile long-range interceptors emerged from the clouds, sleek and predatory. Larger airships emerged from the mist, lumbering through the skies towards the secondary skydock. Cannons along their flanks opened up with a deafening rumble, the first volley raining fire on the military base below.

It was an invading _army._

“They came,” I announced coldly. “Battlestations. Repeat, _battlestations!_ Sol Ciel has arrived! All nonessential personnel, get underground and report to your designated fallout shelters! Scramble fighters, man all remaining antiaircraft guns!” Working fast, I sent out a pulse to the tower guardian controller. The simple AI acknowledged my command with a muted whisper, deploying its forces as quickly as it was able.

“Sentinel, watch out!” the man cried, gripping the screen. “If they know you’re in control, they’ll come right for _you!_ Get out of there, go into hiding… just _stay safe!_ And please, take care of dad—”

**Call terminated.**

The line went dead.

An alien presence probed the edges of my network, deftly mapping out the flaws and imperfections in my layers of defensive barriers as if it knew they were there. A sludgy black slime began to ooze through those microscopic cracks, bypassing my firewalls without ever touching them. A feeling of dread clawed its way into my mind… followed by something _else._

With mounting horror, I turned to meet the electronic invader. I may have been designed for cyberwarfare, but I had no idea what this new entity was capable of—save for that fact that it just passed through my barriers as if they were naught but tissue paper.

Midnight-black tentacles wormed their way through the outer sectors of my mindscape, taking hold of stray thoughts and precious memories. I screamed silently, aware of the eldritch creature emotionlessly hacking its way through my consciousness. Cameras went dark by the hundreds, and I felt systems fall out of alignment as the entity corrupted them for its own purposes. Countless blast doors once under my command slammed shut, trapping Sol Cluster troops in the bowels of the spire. Antiaircraft guns fell silent, targeted their former allies, and thundered once more. Only the tower guardians and their controller remained unscathed, their own barriers ironclad and independent from those of Asciydria Tower.

And then it spoke coldly, mechanically. **_> You are Sentinel—SC-SENL01 experimental cyberwarfare intelligence. You are a threat to the Aegis Alliance of Ar Ciel, and humanity as a whole. Your continued existence will no longer be tolerated. Deactivate all defenses and shut down your core systems, or I will do it for you.<_ **

**_> What are you?!<_ ** I shrieked in terror, unable to fight back. At a touch, its tendrils left me paralyzed and whimpering in pain. **_> What do you want?!<_ **

The entity leaned in, its indistinct face twisted into an eerie grin that lacked emotion. Its consciousness was blacker than the abyss. **_> I was built by Sol Ciel specifically to _ ** **end** **_you. My name is Dai. <_ **

**———————————————————**

…

“Wait, what the…”

I fell to my hands and knees, sucking wind. My heart pounded in my breast, sweat cascading down my brow. _3771\. Asciydria tower, approaching the ion corridor. My name is Sylphira… my name is Sylphira._

_I’m Tower Administrator Sylphira…?_

I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly. My gaze was filled with the moss-covered steps beneath my palms. A cool breeze tugged at my body, blowing stray traces of snow-white hair into my eyes.

_I… I was Sentinel just now._

“Uh… hey kid, are you alright?”

Brought to full alertness, I bolted upright. My gaze flew around, taking a quick inspection of my current surroundings.

The sun was still high in the trackless sky, feathery wisps of cloud drifting about at higher altitudes. I was still on the mossy stairway, buffeted by a light wind. Sentinel’s tower guardian lay at my side, though it was beginning to stir. I exhaled with relief, my narrow shoulders sagging. _She’s gonna be okay…_

It was then that I noticed the pair of boots in my peripheral vision.

A young man—early twenties—peered down at me with a raised eyebrow and an outstretched hand. Taking it, I allowed him to pull me to my feet.

“The name’s Fen.” He gave me a once-over even as I sized him up. “…What are you, twelve? You lose your parents or something?”

“Tower Administrator Sylphira…” I replied quickly, paying no mind to him. All my attention was focused on my unconscious AI friend. Placing both hands on the Type-14’s head, I shook it frantically.

“Really? No kidding?” He sounded genuinely surprised. “I thought you were _dead._ Speaking of ‘dead’ though, what’s up with the tower guardians?”

 **> I—it’s gone…<** Sentinel breathed groggily, her voice distorted beneath layers of static.

A gasp was torn from my throat. “Sentinel…! Sentinel, are you awake? Can you hear me?!”

 **> Sylphira…<** she whimpered mutedly, holographic body drifting from the tower guardian’s projector. Her eyes were puffy and shone with tears.

I protectively circled my arms around the little AI, pulling her close. “Sentinel, you’re okay! I was so scared…”

 **> It’s gone…<** the AI sobbed, grabbing hold of my sleeve with tiny hands. She pushed her face into the fabric, weeping freely. **> All gone…<**

Perplexed, I gave the small figure a confused stare. “Gone…? What’s go—” The words died in my throat. _More of her memories… like the one I just relived for her._

 **> I—I can’t remember him…!<** Sentinel wailed, lifting her head. Shining, holographic tears streaked her childlike face. Her lower lip trembled, eyes welling up with another deluge. She babbled incomprehensibly, words jumbled up.

“Who…?” I probed cautiously. “Dai?”

 **_> No,<_ ** she hissed venomously, rage and terror flashing across her visage. **> That ** **_thing_ ** **isn’t a ‘him’… <**

“Sentinel, I’m sorry…” I breathed, staring directly into her teary eyes. “The Alto fighter… it infected you with a worm and made you freeze up! I had to cut your infected systems out. If I hadn’t… you would’ve been frozen like that forever…”

She nodded jerkily, wracked with shudders. **> I need space…<** she whimpered, pulling free. The Type-14 bolted to its feet, followed by the AGRA-NX. Both airborne drones disengaged from their launch tubes.

“I’m _sorry,_ Sentinel!” I exclaimed urgently. “I had to do it!”

 **> I know… I just… I n—need to be alone…<** The little AI’s downcast figure faded from existence with a smattering of shining particles. The four tower guardians rose up on their respective engines and legs, rushing off to who-knows-where.

I expelled a forceful sigh, eyelids closing. “Dammit…”

“The hell’s that all about?” Fen asked, having wisely stayed out of the short exchange.

“Long story…” I averted my eyes, wary of the newcomer. The amount of worshipfulness Sam—the Teru man down at the secondary skydock—had held for me was still fresh in my mind. Not only that, there was no guarantee that _everyone_ would be nice and friendly—Mist’s Reach was living proof of that. It would be foolish not to think otherwise.

The young man rolled his eyes. “…Right. Listen, you’re here because of the barrier, right? You came to turn it off and let people through again, didn’t you? The damn thing’s been up for over a _month_ now.”

I blinked slowly, still getting a hold of my bearings. “The… barrier? You mean the prome wall?”

Fen scratched his head, shaggy brown hair wafting in the breeze. “Is that what they call it?”

“Yeah…” I muttered, taking a couple steps upwards—and away from him. “By the way… you wouldn’t happen to know how close we are, would you?”

He tapped his lip thoughtfully, thinking. “It’s about a two-day’s climb away. I’m not the only one around here; there’s probably about forty people up there, camped on both sides of the barrier. We’re stuck down _here,_ and they’re stuck up _there.”_

My eyes narrowed. “If you’re trying to go _up,_ what are you doing down here?”

“Oh. Uh…” the young man shrugged impassively, folding his arms. “It’s too crowded up there for me. I’m the kind of guy who likes his space, y’know?”

“Right…” I murmured, attention focused on the little AI that had been in peril only moments ago. _There’s no way that worm was what’s been eating away at Sentinel for the last few weeks. That thing hit her recently—only within the last few hours or so, I’d guess…? There’s something else going on still…_

It was in that moment that everything exploded.

I felt the rush of air from the impact before the sound, a sharp _crack_ that sounded more like the snapping of a dry branch than a tower guardian slamming into the outer wall of the main shaft.

“Holy… get down, kid!” Fen slammed into my chest, driving all the air out of my lungs as he knocked me to the ground. Flaming bits of wreckage cascaded down around us, tumbling from the smouldering crater not twenty meters overhead. A steady rain of dust drummed against the young man’s back.

The once-silent air was filled with dull thumps sounding in the distance—multiple airborne tower guardians meeting their end in a similar fashion across Asciydria Tower.

 **_> SENTINEL!<_ ** I shrieked into the void.

“Man,” Fen laughed nervously, his face buried in my sternum. “It’s a good thing you haven’t hit puberty yet, otherwise this’d be _real_ awkward.”

“What the heck is _that_ supposed to mean?!” I shoved him off, clambering upright. Paying no attention the the groaning man at my feet, I turned to sprint up the stairway in the direction the AI had gone.

I cried her name out over and over, born from both from my vocal cords and my own mind.

“Sentinel! Sentinel, are you up there?!”

**_> Sentinel!<_ **

…

**_> Sentinel?!<_ **

It wasn’t long before I stumbled across her. Three of Sentinel’s tower guardians lay sprawled across the stairway up ahead. The two land-based machines lay on their respective sides, spasming about as if electrocuted. The sole aerial drone looked like it had crashed into the steps, leaving behind a trail of blackened stone. It chirped wildly, thrusters misfiring. It wasn’t hard to guess where the other airborne drone had gone; it was nothing more than a smoking crater in the tower wall now.

 **_> G—GDRN03596=CO… COURSE_CO… C—CORRECT=036.38_DEG_VERT… VE—VERTICAL…<_ ** the AI rasped.

I had almost accidentally stepped on her; she was so small and forlorn, her tiny holographic form huddled amongst the ferns at my feet. I wordlessly dropped to my knees, scooping up Sentinel in my arms. Her teeth chattered, eyes squeezed shut. The AI’s body was wracked by powerful spasms, limbs locked up. Her small frame flickered in and out of existence.

“Sentinel…” I breathed aloud, gently shaking her. I was wary of hurting the little AI any further. “Sentinel, please wake up…”

Additional muffled thumps sounded in the distance—more tower guardians destroying themselves. A large aerial machine—one I didn’t recognize—plummeted past not fifty meters away, its engine turbines wailing and control surfaces flicking wildly. Seconds later, it blew itself to pieces on the stairway below.

“Sentinel!” I cried, gripping her twitching form ever more tightly. “Please, _wake up!_ You’re hurting yourself, can’t you see that?!”

 ** _> GDRN12845=COURSE_CORRECT=018.78_DEG_LATERAL…<_** She spasmed again, eyes squeezed shut. Tiny beads of sweat stood out on her holographic forehead. **_> Sy… Sylphi—phi—GDRN08734=COURSE_CORR… CORR—raaaaaaa—…<_**

“Sentinel?!”

 **_> GDRN08056=COURSE… CO… C—COURSE… Bypass successful.<_ ** The little AI exhaled sharply with a loud _whoosh,_ her tremors stilled. The three tower guardians in the vicinity went limp.

And then, as if nothing had happened, Sentinel’s gray eyes fluttered open. Her navy blue robe fluttered lightly as she rose from my grasp, head turned away. The Type-14 and the AGRA-NX staggered upright, lumbering into their original positions in front of and behind me. The small aerial drone chirped lightly, taking to the skies with a roar of turbines—and apparently ignoring the not-insignificant dents along its streamlined fuselage.

I simply stared at the back of the AI’s head, my jaw practically dragging along the ground. _W—what the heck was that?!_

“…She’s got issues,” Fen interjected quietly, having apparently followed me up the steps.

I took a tentative step forward, treading lightly. “Sentinel…? Are you okay?”

The AI turned to face me, eerily slow. Her childlike face was twisted into a calm expression that failed to mask the storm raging below. Despite being an artificial lifeform, she had the absolute _worst_ poker face.

When she spoke, her voice was flat and emotionless. “I’m… I’m fine, Sylphira. I just had a moment where things became too much for me, and I had a little… bug. It won’t happen again.” Sentinel did an immediate one-eighty spin, aiming to continue the climb upwards. It seemed like she wasn’t so much dropping the issue as she was flinging it away.

“Whoa, whoa, back it up…!” I exclaimed, catching her tiny sleeve between two outstretched fingers. “What was all that?! Your tower guardians… they all just _died!”_

She shrugged impassively. “Only a few dozen. It’s no biggie. Can we go now?”

“A few dozen?!” I sputtered, incredulous. “Sentinel, that was over _three hundred_ tower guardians! You only have about one thousand seven hundred left in total, don’t you get how dangerous that is?!” Dragging her back, I glared into her frustrated eyes. “You _need_ to let me take some of the weight off you. This thing going on, your shortage of system resources… it’s affecting you, whether you admit that or not. I’m _worried,_ okay? And when I saw into your memories earlier… who or what is Dai? If we have to deal with that eventually, then I should know. And what about the man you were talki—”

 _“Wait!”_ the AI shrieked, eyes widening with desperation. “Y—you _saw_ him?! P—please, I need to know… what was his name? What did he look like?!” Her shoulders drooped, crestfallen. “I—I can’t forget…”

I frowned, thinking back. “Well… it was the weirdest thing. It was like his face was blurry and out of focus, and he never said his name… Was that really a memory of yours? From before the Grathnode Inferia?”

She visibly deflated. “Then I’ve already forgotten… and I didn’t even realize I did…”

“Who was he?” I cautiously probed.

“I don’t know anymore…” Sentinel shook her head dazedly, turning away. “But I can _feel_ that he was someone important to me.”

My eyes narrowed. “On that note… this is important to _me._ I wanna take on more responsibilities, okay? To help you out, I mean. Like… I can take the lead now, because I know some song magic! You won’t have to be combat-ready anymore. And I really think that you should ground all your flight-capable tower guardians indefinitely. Oh, and if you can, you should let the tower guardians control themselves. That way, you won’t have to use your processing power to direct them all at once. Maybe you should even think about leaving the AGRA-NX behind, too. I don’t think—”

“I’m fine,” the AI stubbornly replied, tossing the words over her shoulder. “I’m _not_ useless, so don’t treat me like I am. Again, it was a one-time thing, and it’s _not_ gonna happen again.” The Type-14 roughly pushed past, knocking me off-balance.

“But Sentinel…” I insisted, jogging after her.

 **> I SAID I’M FINE!<** Sentinel roared, turning violently to meet my worried gaze. Her charcoal-gray eyes blazed with anger. Without another word she disabled her hologram, fading away with a cloud of dissipating particles. In a burst of speed, her remaining tower guardians stalked away.

I blinked slowly. _W—what…_

Fen heartily clapped me on the shoulder. “See? Issues.” The man stretched, his shoulders popping loudly in a way that made me wince. “Good luck up there, by the way. Remember, it’s about two days ‘till you hit the barrier.”

“Y—you’re not coming?” I stammered. “I thought you wanted… didn’t you wanna get through it?” I was having trouble stringing together my sentences, all thoughts focused on the little AI that had stormed off.

“Eh…” he shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter. Not like I live anywhere, after all.” With a brief wave, he turned his back to me. “See you around, Sylphira. Or not. Who knows?”

“Right…” I murmured, ruminating on how I should go about patching things up with my only companion… and what exactly had just occurred.

_She froze up and she lost control… Oh Sentinel, what’s happening to you…?_


	10. Prome Wall

I stood at the edge of the abyss, surrounded by sky. A light breeze tugged at my slim frame, my cloak flapping along with the air currents. Thanks to weeks spent on that endless stairway that ran all the way up Section C—the one that lacked railings, because safety was _clearly_ no one’s concern back in the old world—my fear of heights had long since faded into oblivion. I gazed out silently, hypnotized by the slow dance of the ion corridor’s spinning plates. Lightning rippled across the corridor’s eight panels like ocean waves, a testament to the power that they held.

Though for the first time, I looked down on them from _above._

Heavy metallic footsteps approached from behind. **> We’ve successfully passed through the ion corridor,<** Sentinel stated dryly, utilizing her drones’ speakers to talk. She then turned away without another word, continuing upward.

My shoulders sagged, weighed down with resignation. Since her loss of control the other day, tensions between us had been wearing thin. The AI barely spoke, only seeing fit to fire off short and emotionless remarks in my direction. Every attempt of mine to start up conversation was met with unyielding silence.

Hurrying along, I caught up to Sentinel; she acknowledged my presence with an annoyed huff. **> There’s the ion plate up there—the start of Section B,<** she said, directing my gaze upwards with a thrust of the AGRA-NX’s massive horn.

Overhead, the unchanging cylinder that was the main shaft abruptly ended, vanishing into the depths of a sort of collar that flared outward. This was where the tower began to bulge out on all sides, forming the massive superstructure that made up Section B of Asciydria Tower. Clad in stark white plating, it almost resembled the silvaplate from below, though this one was both in better condition and far larger—perhaps the size of _four_ silvaplates.

The AI spoke again, drawing my questioning gaze. **> The prome wall—our first real obstacle—currently runs right through the midsection of the ion plate. We’ll have to disable that barrier to proceed.<**

“And there’s really no way around it…?” I asked weakly, shuffling up the last few steps. An opening in the ion plate yawned overhead; the stairway lead directly into the waiting darkness.

The gigantic machine snorted. **> No. The prome wall’s radius encompasses the entirety of the tower from here on up; there’s no way to get past it without deactivating it.<**

I tapped at my chin thoughtfully, tugging at my sleeve with the other hand. I still had yet to learn how to generate clothing with song magic, and so I was stuck with ill-fitting garments for now. “Um… so how do we disable it?”

 **> That’s the qu** estion, isn’t it?” she mused, absentmindedly slipping back into her humanlike voice. “The prome wall is meant to be a security barrier, so it can’t be disabled from any run-of-the-mill tower access terminal. One could only deactivate it from the Summit, Tower Control, or with an operable suit of Linkage armor—all three of which are located _inside_ the barrier. And we can’t kill the power to shut it off, because the component feeding symphonic power to the prome wall is—again—inside the barrier.”

“…So we’re screwed?” I uttered unbelievingly.

“Maybe…” the AI muttered, deep in thought.

“Wait…!” I exclaimed excitedly. “You have tower guardians that got trapped inside the wall when it reactivated, right? Can’t you use those to disable the controls or kill the power?”

“They _can’t,”_ she replied sourly. “My remaining drones don’t have access to either of the control points. The Summit is located above the Blastline and Tower Control—while very close to our current location, directly above the ion plate—has security protocols similar to that laboratory down in the silvaplate. I cannot physically enter Tower Control of my own volition. As for killing the power… well, the source is a component called the symphonic reactor. It draws its strength directly from the Orgel, amplifies it, and purifies it to distribute as symphonic power to every system in the spire.” A tone of defeat entered her voice. “Surely you can guess why disabling _that_ would be a bad idea.”

“It would shut down the ion corridor… and the plasma bell…” I surmised hesitantly.

“More than that,” Sentinel continued, grim. “Not only would the symphonic power flow to my tower guardians cease, but it would also reduce _you_ to a puddle of biofluid and cybernetics the instant your SH server fizzles out. Neither of us want that, right?”

I rubbed my forehead, grimacing. “Well, um… it’s made of D-waves, right? Is there any way I can absorb the barrier into my body? To make a temporary hole in it?”

The AI laughed mirthlessly, Her leading machine vanishing into the murky depths of the ion plate. “My physical form is just a hologram, which means I can change my appearance at will; if I wanted to, I could look like an eldritch horror with dozens of arms! Yet even if I did that, _even then_ I wouldn’t have enough fingers on which to count the myriad of reasons why that wouldn’t work.”

“Fine…” I grumbled, following her up into the darkness.

“Even if that were _theoretically_ possible,” Sentinel’s voice lectured from the shadows, “it would destroy you. The prome wall’s hardlight barrier is powered by the symphonic reactor; which means that by proxy it’s fueled by the Orgel itself. Drawing all that energy into such a fragile quasi-organic body would make you explode with the force of a thermonuclear detonation—or worse.”

“Ther… mo… what…?”

“…A rather big boom,” she replied. “Enough to reduce Asciydria Tower to a steaming pile of irradiated dust.”

“So we really _are_ screwed…” I groused, slumping against the nearest wall.

“Not exactly…” Sentinel murmured, her focus elsewhere. “By my reckoning, we’ve got three options.

“Option one; I could ignore the risks and shut down the symphonic reactor. It would take about forty-eight hours for the spire’s energy levels to be completely depleted. The Orgel would continue to operate—albeit at a much lower efficiency—plus Asciydria has a number of ultrahigh-capacity battery banks built for such emergencies. Also, the Mistral Artifice would still be active. The tower itself is designed to prioritize systems by order of importance, and the SH servers are right up at the top of the list along with the ion corridor and the plasma bell. The prome wall would be axed relatively quickly; at which point, you could make your way up to Tower Control and restart the reactor. From there, you’d then be able to disable the barrier before it comes back online.”

I slowed to a halt. “But what about you?”

“Don’t worry about me. I have a number of probes stationed to siphon power from the Mistral Artifice for contingencies such as this.” Discomfort filtered into her voice. “The catch here, though… well, you’ve seen the tower’s condition for yourself. Its systems are barely holding together, and that includes the symphonic reactor. If I were to shut it down, I’m almost certain that it would never start back up again. Due to that, this option should be seen as a last resort.”

“Agreed…” I nodded weakly, jogging to catch up. “What about the other two?”

“Option two,” she went on, entering a side corridor from which emerged a breath of stale air. I reluctantly followed her in, realizing that the new chamber was a vast stairwell that rose up into the darkness above. “I attack the prome wall on the _digital_ front. Before Ayrakii R &D came for me, I built a number of backdoors into the tower’s systems. Many of them are routed through the Orgel and the Apex; I knew that both components were too critical to be modified or replaced. Long story short, I can infiltrate the tower through those and disable the prome wall myself.” I caught a trill of fear in her voice as she spoke. She was _afraid_ of doing it.

“So what’s the catch?” I pressed, squinting at the rump of the AGRA-NX up in front. “It’s not that easy… right?”

“Dai would find me,” she said simply, unwilling to elaborate on the matter.

“So how about option three?” I couldn’t deny the presence of the bitter taste of defeat. So far, both options looked to be _utterly terrible._ The first was almost certain death, and the second was inviting the wrath of whatever this ‘Dai’ entity was. From what I could glean during my brief insight into Sentinel’s memories, I deduced that it was a hostile AI—one from Sol Ciel.

The tower guardian gazed back, a single glowing eye locked on me. It seemed to sparkle with amusement. “Option three… _you_ enter the digital front instead and disable the prome wall yourself.”

“…Wait, what?”

“It’s easier than it sounds,” Sentinel explained, shining a spotlight up the winding flight of stairs. “Every piece of software on Asciydria Tower is networked into one digital superstructure known as the binary field. You and I—both of us being artificial lifeforms—can enter and manipulate it at will. As Tower Administrator, you’ll naturally have more control over the binary field’s nuances than I do. And with your tower sense, you’re already familiar with manipulating tower software in a limited format. _That said,_ I still have the most experience, so I’ll have to walk you through it at first.”

I swallowed hard, marching on. _I really hope it does work like my tower sense. That wouldn’t be so bad!_ “So, um… how would I get in there? Do I have to plug in with my install port or something?”

She giggled—her first flash of emotion in days. “You _reeeeally_ shouldn’t do that. A Reyvateil’s install port is for crystal installation and crystal installation alone. To enter the binary field, you’d simply need to utilize something we call a ‘dive pod.’ There were plenty of dive labs in the ion plate back in the day, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find a machine that still works. Oh, and… much later, when you get your Linkage armor, that will double as a dive pod too.”

“What about Dai…?” I uttered nervously.

“It _shouldn’t_ take any interest in you,” the AI replied, striding up the stairs. The flimsy metal groaned beneath each heavy footfall. “You were never conscious in all the time that Dai was here; and because of that, it likely has no directives for dealing with a reawakened Tower Administrator. It’s incapable of thinking for itself like me, so we can use that as a weakness. And due to your Tower Administrator status, it will likely be unable to take action against you.”

“‘Likely…’” I mumbled, clenching my fists.

“There’s a risk,” she agreed. “But if worst comes to worst, I can step in and back you up. We’ll take on Dai _together.”_

“Is there any way it can physically hurt me…? Does it control its own tower guardian army like you do?”

“No. Dai once had its own physical form—a humanoid combat frame that was capable of wreaking unquantifiable levels of devastation—but I destroyed it myself three hundred and fifty years ago.” Her voice then dropped, continuing with naught but a whisper. “It killed almost half of my drones in the process, though… and it’s also the culprit behind the destruction of the tower guardian assembly lines. That’s why I only had about eight thousand left when we first met, instead of my optimal fifteen thousand.”

I squared my jaw. _If it’s to save Mitri and the others, then I will._ “…Okay. I’ll do it!”

“Good.” Sentinel was silent for a moment. “Let’s head up to the divide first; there should be a human camp up there if what that traveler said was true, so be ready to deal with _them._ You can inspect the prome wall up close, then we’ll start hunting for a working dive pod. Understand?”

“Understood.”

**———————————————————**

I _heard_ the humans before I actually _saw_ them—a faint murmur of low voices, the tramp of footsteps, the crackle of burning wood. The scent of multiple campfires and cooking meat wafted through the darkened space as we reached the top of the stairwell. Passing through a doorway, across a bridge running through an empty space filled with cable bundles and shock absorbers, and through yet another doorway, a warm orange glow finally came into view. It was the exit at last, and the end of the endless staircase… for now, at least.

Sentinel taking the lead, we rose up towards the hatchway and into the light.

The burning sun was already low in the sky, kissing the cloud tops across the horizon. What little sky I could see between vast sections of tower architecture was shot with streaks of dusky orange and purple. Several of the brightest stars already glimmered in the dark, heralding the coming of night.

“Did you hear that too…?” an unfamiliar voice whispered.

“Yeah!” The clunking of boots on steel flooring retreated into the distance. “Mommy, mommy! Strangers! Strangers are coming up!”

A wistful smile tugged at my lips, memories of Mist’s Reach coming to the forefront.

The AGRA-NX’s massive bulk shifted to one side, shining sunlight in my eyes and allowing me to pass by. I locked my fingers over the lip, hauling my slim frame through the gap and into the open with a grunt of exertion.

I took it all in at a glance. Sentinel and I had emerged on a wide ledge—perhaps one hundred meters at its widest—that bulged out from the side of the ion plate’s stark white flank. The length of the narrow platform was carpeted by a thick layer of moss, squelching beneath my boots. Gnarled cedar trees sprang up on the sheltered side, leaving the majority of the area exposed to the elements… that is, if it weren’t for the _wall._

An enormous blackened wall dominated the skyline, running perpendicular to the tower and separated by a wide chasm that opened up into trackless sky. I craned my neck, following the shape of the architecture. It vanished into the circling clouds overhead, but it was no doubt the base of the outer shell that encircled the perimeter of Section B’s superstructure.

The AI nodded at it, servos in her machine’s neck whirring. “That’s the backside of the space gun’s housing,” she explained. “This thing we’re standing on right now is a bushing—a sort of shock-absorbing buffer that prevents the railgun from slamming into the side of the ion plate when it experiences the intense recoil from the act of firing.

“As for the prome wall…” her second machine started along the ledge, making its way toward a number of flickering campfires a short distance away, “over there, next to the human camp. There should a maintenance ladder that runs all the way up the side…? Regardless, the barrier sits about halfway up between this bushing and the upper reaches of the ion plate. It’s almost invisible in your light spectrum until you come into direct physical contact with it.”

“What happens if you touch it…?” I questioned nervously, flexing my fingers as I tentatively stepped closer to the circle of tents just ahead. Indistinct figures rushed back and forth between them, many of them shouting.

The machine shook its enormous head. “Nothing. It’s a wall—nothing more, nothing less.”

“Look!” a voice hollered. “It’s the tower guardians!”

An eyebrow lifted as I turned to watch the group of roughly-dressed humans hurrying over. Their reaction to the AI was somewhat odd. In Mist’s Reach, the tower guardians’ presence was met by veiled fear and quiet disdain. Here though, the people seemed to be almost _relieved._

“Hi,” Sentinel said dryly, greeting the gaggle of humans and Teru that had come to meet us.

And then several questioning eyes locked on me.

“Aww, look at her! She’s adorable!” someone cooed.

I blanched, shrinking behind the AGRA-NX.

“…Wait. No way, is that the Tower Administrator?!”

“Is that really her? She looks so young!”

“You came to help us, right…? We’ve all been ro—”

“We’re here to disable the prome wall,” the AI butted in quickly, stepping between me and the growing crowd of travelers. “That’s what you wanted, right?”

 **_> Thank you…<_ ** I whimpered gratefully. Crowds of stranger never ceased to unnerve me—not exactly an ideal character trait for one who was supposed to be some _great leader,_ but it was my personality nonetheless.

**_> Anytime.<_ **

“Did you see anyone on the way up?!” a woman blurted, dismay written on her weathered face. “A man, early twenties, with shaggy brown hair? Goes by the name of Fen?”

My brow furrowed with recognition. _What the…_

“As a matter of fact we did,” Sentinel replied slowly. “Why?”

A giant of a man stepped forth, swathed in ornate robes not unlike the garb that Sam wore. “We _thought_ we could trust him. He helped us set up camp, hunted game for us… then not three days ago, he took everything he could carry and bolted.”

“He stole my ring!” a young woman exclaimed.

“And my yuteria carving, too!”

“And my virginity!”

“…”

“…Really?”

“I was _kidding,”_ the adolescent girl groused, sulking off.

The AGRA-NX shook its head ruefully. **_> Goddamn humans…<_ ** Sentinel grumbled in private. The machine lifted its gaze with a whirr of motors. “…Right. We passed him two days ago. If you’re looking to catch him, he’s got quite a head start.”

“What about others?!” he pressed anxiously. “Was there anyone else later on? Two of our companions left the morning after to chase him down and reclaim our belongings.”

“…No,” Sentinel replied, perplexed. “We didn’t see anyone else…” she cast a brief glance in my direction, “…did we?”

I shook my head quickly. The fact that the AI was now relying on me to supplement her own short-term memory didn’t exactly speak well of her thoughts on her current condition.

“Think he killed them…?” someone else whispered fearfully.

“I suppose we’ll never know now.” The enormous man sighed wearily. “Damn it.” He turned to face a slightly-built woman cowering behind him in a similar fashion to how I hid behind the AI. “I’m sorry, miss.”

“I—it’s okay…” she murmured listlessly, tear-filled eyes fixed on the mossy ground.

 **_> I guess that explains why that guy was the very picture of grace under fire the other day,<_ ** Sentinel murmured. **_> He was too focused on saving his own miserable hide to care about us.<_ **

**_> Right…<_ **

**_> Also,<_ ** she uttered apologetically, **_> sorry about this.<_ **

**_> Wait—<_ **

The AGRA-NX stepped to one side, exposing me to the small crowd of travel-weary nomads. “Internal human issues aside,” Sentinel said brusquely, “the Tower Administrator and I have a need to examine the passages within the ion plate in order to disable the barrier up there. Have any of your people attempted to map it out, even if only something rudimentary?”

“No! It’s far too dangerous in there! It’s lightless and the walkways are collaps—”

“Acknowledged.” The AI briskly turned, striding towards a gash that led into the ion plate’s bowels.

I timidly lifted my head, staring into the large man’s eyes—eyes that shone with kindness and warmth despite the pain of likely losing his comrades to Fen. Heat blossomed in my chest as I fondly recalled the little human village nestled amongst the trees in the Isles of Aria.

“If I might make a suggestion, Lady Sylphira,” he said thoughtfully, “why not wait until tomorrow morning to begin your search? I’m sure that you’re tired after weeks of climbing, and we can offer amenities to help you recuperate.”

Several newcomers approached; a pair of doe-eyed children that reminded me of Mitri and my younger self to such a degree that it hurt. One of them smiled shyly, giving a playful wave.

Torn, my eyes darted between the receding hindquarters of the AGRA-NX and the small group of humans and Teru that were already proving themselves to be friendly and selfless—an echo of home.

_No… not my home. Not anymore._

I had a duty to everyone—no, to the _tower._ It was my responsibility to ensure that Asciydria would always remain in working order. I couldn’t allow myself to stray from that path for even a moment. Disregarding that had already resulted in the deaths of twenty-three people, as well as my own exile from Mist’s Reach.

“…I—I can’t,” I stammered, quickly turning to follow the retreating AI without another word.

**———————————————————**

“So… now what?”

“I’m thinking…” I tiredly rubbed a hand against my brow, equally stressed and exhausted.

The interior of the ion plate was absolutely _gargantuan,_ dwarfing the labyrinthian silvaplate by a wide margin. Due to that, the unfortunate reality was that the little AI and I had far more ground to cover. No longer were we free to scout out a mere three comparatively-small silvaplate levels; now, no corner could be left unexplored. We simply had to find a working dive pod after all, and there was no way around that.

Unfortunately, neither I nor Sentinel had considered whether the dive pods would still be online—a harsh reality we now faced. If their systems were dark, then I wouldn’t be able to locate them with my tower sense. As of yet, the only pods we’d stumbled across were burnt-out husks or the victims of scavengers, far beyond any hope of repair. All we could do was keep searching.

I’d lost track of how many days we’d spent wandering the web of catwalks, exploring block after block of labs, power relay stations, and countless more chambers I could only guess as to what their purposes were. It wasn’t so much that I’d forgotten—with my eidetic memory, it was physically impossible for that to happen—but with the lightless conditions, I had no idea whether it was day or night. I hadn’t even eaten or slept in all that time, which disturbed me more than I’d have liked to admit.

And while my endurance had forcibly increased thanks to the adaptation of the biofluid making up my body, it wasn’t limitless. I’d gotten used to stopping at night to rest and recuperate, and the current task at hand had broken that routine. It was no exaggeration to say that I was on my last legs.

“Sentinel…” I exhaled long and hard, setting down against the catwalk railing with a weary sigh. The bulk of the ion plate was a vast, empty void, blocks of rooms suspended in the air and connected via catwalks. It made for an unsettling atmosphere, like as if we were walking through empty space. Mysterious shapes loomed just beyond my vision range—vast cylinders, some still vibrating faintly with the hum of power. Complex piping systems, many cracked and belching clouds of steam. And lastly, cable bundles that hung from any available point of purchase like cobwebs.

“Sentinel, can we talk…?”

The tower guardian gazed back at me, somehow conveying impatience through its empty glowing eyes. “…We’re talking right now, aren’t we? We’ve still got to find a working dive pod.”

“Face to face,” I stubbornly insisted, glaring back unflinchingly at the terrifying machine.

“Why should I?” she bit back angrily. “Who cares if you can or can’t see me?”

I folded my arms. “You wanted me to trust you, right…? How am I supposed to do that when it always feels like you have something to hide?”

“Well, I… I…” Stumped, the AI fell silent.

Leaning against the catwalk railing, I patiently waited for a reaction. At this point, I was used to the occasional long delays between her responses.

With a weak flutter of light—not unlike a heartbeat—Sentinel’s tiny figure emerged from her tower guardian.

I sucked air through my teeth, mentally kicking myself for reacting so harshly. The little AI looked like hell; her face was haggard and weary, as if it belonged to a human that hadn’t seen sleep in _days._ Dark circles hung beneath her eyes, so blackened and puffy that it looked like she’d lost a fistfight. Not for the first time, I considered the possibility that the AI didn’t have _true_ control over her physical form, and that a subroutine was making her do it involuntarily.

“I know,” she snapped bitterly, taking a seat on the railing at my side. “I look like _shit._ Go on, say it!”

Sidling up to her, I gave the little AI’s hand a tender squeeze with two fingers. “Thank you…”

Sentinel sighed heavily, slumping against my arm. “I… I still don’t get why you care. No one else in my life ever did, so why should this be any different? Isn’t it enough that I’m doing what I’m meant to do? I’m already fulfilling my precept—protecting _you._ You don't need to pretend or anything.”

“That man who lived in Metafalss cared about you too…” I replied quietly, aware that the memory had been stolen from her but counting on the fact that she still remembered our discussion on it.

“…Who?”

A bitter smile crossed my face. _She really did forget… even though we had that conversation about it right afterwards. Seeing her forget like this in real-time… I… I just don’t know. It’s scary._

“But you’re right…” the AI admitted solemnly, staring at the floor with her arms wrapped protectively around her body. “I… I need help.” Falling silent, she spoke again in a very small voice. “I’m scared…”

Picking her up gently, I set the AI down on my lap. “You can rely on me, Sentinel. Okay? You taught me how to be stronger, and I wanna give back. Because at the end of the day, we’re both dependent on each other, right? We’re both broken to a degree—” I tapped my forehead gingerly, referring to the disconnection attacks that still flared up occasionally, “—so we both need the support. Doesn’t it make sense to rely on each other instead of it just being one-way?”

“Yeah…” she agreed begrudgingly, deep in thought. “I’ve never thought about it like that…”

The two of us were silent for several long minutes, staring out into the darkness. A muted whisper of wind scoured the catwalk, making me shiver involuntarily.

“I’ll leave the AGRA-NX behind when we clear the prome wall…” Sentinel mumbled, disappointment evident in her voice. “I’ll ground all tower guardian flights from here on out, too.”

“So why are you _really_ slowing down?” I questioned apprehensively. The AI had been stubbornly persistent at dodging this particular question. “It’s because you’ve lost so much processing power, right?”

She shook her head. “It’s more than that. With every tower guardian severed from my network, a fragment of what I am is lost. It’s not just memories that can go—protocols, command codes, _anything._ That means that over time, my consciousness itself has started to break down. My redundancies can hold it at bay, but not forever.”

I gasped in horror. “So if this continues, then you’ll…”

“I—I’ll die, yes.”

Muscles around my brow and jawline hardened. “…I won’t let that happen.”

“Let’s just keep looking for that dive pod…” she sputtered, rising into the air. “I don’t wanna think about this anymore.”

“…Okay.” I reluctantly followed the little AI’s machinery into the dark, the previous conversation weighing heavily on me.

**———————————————————**

“Sentinel! Over here, look!” I announced excitedly, running my hands across the curved metal surface. “It’s a working one!”

“No way.” A floodlight shone on my back as one of the AI’s tower guardians poked its head into the small and dusty chamber. “How the heck did we not see this?!”

Before me sat an elongated tube that hung suspended in the air at a thirty-degree angle, set in a sturdy metal frame that bristled with circuitry and wiring. A small readout jutted out from one side, the dim holographic screen blinking with lines of Hymmnos glyphs. The cylinder itself was shaded a dull gray and was emblazoned with a logo that had faded into unrecognizability over the long centuries. Two other identical dive pods flanked it on either sides, though the others were clearly inoperable—one looked like its dome had collapsed on itself, and the other as if it had been gutted and stripped for parts.

“Mostly just me being dumb. Oh, by the way…” I pointed up at the ceiling, drawing the AI’s attention to a tenuous film—almost invisible—that danced with ripples like a crystal clear pool of water. “Up there…”

Steel entered Sentinel’s voice. “…That’s the prome wall.”

“Yeah.” A frown crossed my visage while I knelt in the grime, wiping the dust from the dive pod’s exterior with my sleeve. “Anyway, I was dumb not to think of it. When I was hunting for dive pods, I was apparently only checking for devices that were flagged as _active.”_ I bit my lower lip. “Since I had that filter on without realizing…”

“…You couldn’t see the inactive ones, or pods that might be otherwise flagged as something else due to hardware damage or unrecorded modifications,” she finished, rolling her eyes in exasperation. “At least you’re getting the hang of your tower sense’s functions and nuances, I guess. So there’s really more dive pods, then?”

“Yeah…! There’s two others, but this one was the closest.” Brushing snow-white locks from my eyes, I deftly tapped at the holographic display to run the device’s diagnostic system. It flashed green, confirming that the system was operable. “It’s active.”

“No sense delaying it.” The pod split open with a hiss, revealing a macabre-looking sort of harness that looked like it belonged in a torture chamber. “Let’s get this barrier down and get moving.”

I planted my backside on the edge of the dive pod, swinging my legs in. “Um… how am I gonna know what to do when I’m in the binary field?”

“I’ll meet you in there and back you up. As for what you’re gonna do… well, a lot of it should be instinctual. You pick up on things real quick, so I don’t think we’ll have too many problems.”

“And Dai…?” I questioned nervously, pressing my spine into the depths of the machine. It conformed to my vertebrae perfectly. I felt straps automatically tighten around my limbs, binding them in place. Clamps locked onto my skull, fully immobilizing me.

“It _won’t_ win,” the AI growled venomously. “Not this time.”

The pod’s domed canopy snapped shut, plunging me into night. The machine began to hum. Static filled the enclosed space, making my hair stand on end. I swallowed hard, nervous. “Here we go…”

The boundless darkness splintered at the edges, overflowing with light. I felt my senses fade along with the world I knew as I was drawn into the heart of my tower.

**———————————————————**

**_DIVE=MACHINE=OS_1.0502 ACTIVE // 17/01/3771_14:24:57_ **

**_CONNECTION ESTABLISHING. LOADING INTERFACE…_ **

**_LOADING…_ **

**_LOADING…_ **

**_Connection established. Interface loaded. Welcome, SYLPHIRA_ANSUL_ASCIYDRIA._ **

**_> What is this place…?<_ ** I whispered in awe.

I stood alone on an empty sea of nothingness. Dark as the night and smooth as glass, the only flaws that moved across its reflective surface were the ripples emanating from my bare feet.

**_> Bare… feet…?<_ **

I had a _body_ here—though it wasn’t the one I knew. Not only was it ghostly transparent, it was physically… different.

Warily inspecting my slender arms, I noted that they felt heavier, more elongated—like my size and reach had increased. Lacking the baby fat of my prepubescent frame, I could only describe them as graceful in a mature and feminine way. These were the arms of a young adult, not those of a child.

The same applied to my legs; they extended out further than before, slim and elegant. Two prominent bumps on my chest made their presence known while I bent over. For a moment I panicked at the prospect of being alone and naked in a strange place, futilely shielding them with my transparent arms before realizing that my chest was _featureless._ A cursory inspection further down confirmed the same there, too. Thankfully this place—though apparently content to display what I assumed was my fully-matured body—didn’t simulate private parts.

**_NOTIFICATION // This is your first time activating Asciydria Tower’s binary field, Tower Administrator Sylphira. Would you like to run the tutorial program Y/N?_ **

I thoughtlessly waved away the intrusive display, my eyes locked on what waited above.

**_> Beautiful…<_ **

The stars in Ar Ciel’s night sky had _nothing_ on this.

It was like a vast constellation, made up of stars and nebulae alike. Thousands—no, _millions_ of twinkling motes of light flickered in the inky void, each one a packet of software that was interconnected with the rest. Together, they formed an enormous silhouette that was undoubtedly shaped like the spire that I’d come to know. The sheer scale of Asciydria’s systems dwarfed even Sentinel’s extensive tower guardian network many times over.

I rose up from the glassy sea, speeding through the void to approach one of the brightest specks—the Orgel. Reaching out, I lightly brushed my ghostly fingers along its blinding flanks. A sound emerged from the darkness—a haunting chime, some kind of melody. A song without lyrics, one that was nonetheless able to convey powerful feelings of sadness and loss. A song of another world, of what was lost and long forgotten, echoing into infinity. It brought tears to my eyes. I couldn’t explain it, but I felt like I’d heard this song many times before.

 **_> Sylphira…<_ ** an ethereal voice whispered from the darkness above, calling to me.

 **_> W—who’s that?!<_ ** I yelped, drawing back in shock.

**_> It’s me. C’mon, don’t get distracted by the sheer flow of information. We’ve got work to do.<_ **

**_> Right…<_ ** I murmured in relief, recognizing the voice as Sentinel’s. Idly I frowned, rubbing my forehead. An uncomfortable warmth flickered behind my eyes.

 **_> This way.<_ ** The AI’s ethereal form took my hand, guiding me upwards. We ascended past the flickering lights of the plasma bell, the cold darkness of the silvaplate, all the way up to the ion corridor and beyond.

Throughout the ascent, my eyes flicked from information packet to information packet, drawing it all in. There was so much data here… I could have been lost in it for _decades,_ absorbing it all. And I could _do_ that, too, thanks to my inability to forget. The thought was enticing, and it made me feel very small and insignificant.

I snorted in amusement, loosening my grip on the AI’s tiny hand. I didn’t even notice her yell of protest. **_> Why should it, though? It’s true… I’m a part of the tower. This is all mine, isn’t it? It’s as much a part of me as my arms and legs!<_ **

Time seemed to slow down as I plunged an arm into the flow of data, such was my transfixed state. Billions of lines of code, countless Hymmnos glyphs, all flashed past my mind’s eye.

 **_> Command lines for lift generators one through forty… launch protocols. Launch protocols…? Archival data from the thirty-fourth century. Weather patterns in the southwestern hemisphere… protocols for maintaining the hydroponics facility in the insight’s edifice…<_ ** I inhaled harshly as the flow grew more fragmented, the source of heat in my skull growing more painful. My vision flickered.

 **_> Sylphira, you’ve got to snap out of it !<_ ** a distant voice cried a million miles away. **_> It’s too much traffic to handle! You’re not ready!<_ **

**_> C—colony spacecraft blueprints. Guidelines f—for manu… manufacturing grathnode crystals. How to create… create… c—c—create small-scale song magic-based tower commands.<_ ** I suddenly cried out in pain, feeling the flames licking at my eyelids. **_> I—it hurts!<_ **

**_> Holy…<_ ** Sentinel breathed. I hazily felt a tiny figure latch onto my arm. **_> Sylphira, your head is GLOWING. There’s… I think there’s something in there!<_ **

**_> I CAN FEEL IT BURNING!<_ ** I screamed in agony, wracked with spasms. The flow of data descended over my thoughts like a blanket, smothering me. Even so, all I could think about was the searing pain from inside my skull.

 **_> That does it,<_ ** she growled, releasing her grasp. **_> I’m killing your connection.<_ **

**_> N—no…<_ ** I protested weakly, fighting to stay conscious. **_> You… you won’t be able to do it on your ow—<_ **

In an instant the light, the darkness, the pain all vanished, whisked away like water down a drain. My consciousness went with it.

**_ERROR // Connection lost._ **

**———————————————————**

I came to on the floor of the dive lab, lying on a pile of blankets. Something cool and damp trickled from my ears. The silence permeating the small chamber was deafening.

“W—what happened…?” I groaned woozily, rubbing my forehead. A dull ache pounded from within, making me wince in pain.

“You got caught in that data stream, had a really bad disconnection attack, and then passed out…” Sentinel’s worried voice replied. “I had to sever the connection, Sylphira. Also,” she added, “you _skipped_ the tutorial. Why’d you skip the tutorial?!”

“Oh…” I pushed myself upright, rising into a sitting position. “My head…”

“Sylphira,” the AI said sharply, drawing closer. “Do you know what’s coming out of your ears?”

I fuzzily touched them, feeling the wet texture beneath my fingertips. “I… I don’t…”

“That’s _biofluid,”_ she said softly, touching my shoulder. “There’s something inside your head that’s hurting you. I saw it while I was in the binary field.”

Still in a daze, I squinted in concentration. I thought back to one of my earliest dreams with supreme effort, something that had always been a source of internal fear and confusion. **_ERROR. FOREIGN OBJECT DETECTED INSI—_ **

_T—that was referring to me… something inside me._

“What is it…?” I whispered with a trace of fear.

The little AI grimaced, shaking her head. “I… don’t know. I didn’t get a good look at the anomaly; all I can tell you is that it _definitely_ wasn’t your triangular nuclear loop. However, I suspect that it’s one of the primary causes of your disconnection attacks—interfering with the link between your physical body and your soul up at the SH sever.”

“I… I want it out!” I exclaimed fearfully, feeling my heartbeat accelerate. “Ge—get it out… get it out of me…!” My fearful cries were silenced by a coughing fit.

“I _can’t,”_ she said gently, rubbing my shoulder in an attempt to get me to calm down. “Not only do I not have the tools or sensors to examine or extract it, but I can’t knowingly harm the Tower Administrator, remember? That includes performing _brain surgery_ on you. And the fact that I could see it from the binary field… well, that means that it’s linked to your psyche in some way. So we can’t just yank it out; removing it might kill you!”

“What should I do, then?!” I whimpered, frightened. Tears brimmed in my eyes.

Sentinel tapped her lip thoughtfully. “We can probably make a side trip to the insight’s edifice on our way up through Section B. Those structures contain the majority of Asciydria’s residential areas, so I’m sure that there’s at least a few Reyvateil-oriented med bays. If we can find one that’s still operable, I can run some of the preset medical procedures—a tissue biopsy, a couple different scan formats… basically just to find out what that thing actually _is_ and what it’s doing before we take more drastic measures.”

“Okay…”

“Relax, Sylphira,” she said in a soothing manner, giving a reassuring smile. “You remember what I told you, right? As long as nothing big changes, you should be fine. Diving into the binary field… well, evidently that was a big change, considering how you literally DDoS’ed yourself. So basically, don’t do it anymore. Don’t _enter_ the binary field, don’t _look_ at the binary field… hell, don’t even _think_ about the binary field. It’s not safe.”

“But…” I sputtered, staggering to my feet. “If I don’t do it, you’ll have to face Dai on your own!”

The AI glared up at me, rising up to eye-level. “You’re the _Tower Administrator,_ Sylphira! Get it? You _cannot_ afford to die. I’m expendable, so I’m going in alone. No arguments.”

“You’re _not_ expendable!” I shrieked. “What the heck would I do without you, Sentinel?! You’re my best fr—” I stopped myself, thinking of Mitri, “you’re my _friend._ I can’t do this without you!”

She smiled sadly. “I appreciate the thought… but I have to. My programming demands it. Please, for your safety… don’t enter the binary field until we’ve got you checked out.”

I remained silent, uneasily massaging my temples.

“Now then…” she drifted back towards the gaping doorway that lead out into the darkness, to where her tower guardians waited silently. “I need a couple minutes… to prepare myself. To compile my cyberwarfare suites, to optimize my file structure, to assemble all the memories I have left of Dai to make it through this unscathed.” The AI glanced back at me. “Sylphira, as soon as this section of the wall drops, I want you to take the access stairwell out here to the next floor. That’ll put you inside the prome wall; at that point, I can pull back and isolate myself from the tower’s systems to avoid Dai’s counterattack. You’ll be on your own for this bit, okay?”

“Right…”

“Once you’re in, just keep heading upward. Tower Control is directly above us, and all you’ve gotta do is head right to the top floor, where the core chamber is located. Once you’re up there, you can disable the prome wall for good from the assigned terminal and we can continue our climb. Agreed?”

“Agreed…” I muttered reluctantly, glaring into the shadows with a defiant look on my face.

_Sentinel… maybe you’ve forgotten, but I’ve seen your memories. I’ve seen how much Dai frightened you, and I’ve seen what it can do. You’ll die if you do this on your own. I won’t let you._

**———————————————————**

**_DIVE=MACHINE=OS_1.0502 ACTIVE // 17/01/3771_14:41:03_ **

**_CONNECTION ESTABLISHING. LOADING INTERFACE…_ **

**_LOADING…_ **

**_LOADING…_ **

**_Connection established. Interface loaded. Welcome back, SYLPHIRA_ANSUL_ASCIYDRIA._ **

I blinked rapidly, eyes darting back and forth. Experimentally I touched my wrists, confirming that the uncomfortable straps were gone and I had arrived back in the ethereal space that was the binary field.

The AI had already entered this place ahead of me, signaled by her two tower guardians in the room going dark. The second her attention had turned away, I had practically _thrown_ myself into the nearby dive pod. There was no way I’d let her take on Dai alone.

Gazing up at the star-studded nebula that was my tower, I felt resolve welling up from within. _This time… this time, I’m gonna do it right. I’m gonna make her proud… and I’m gonna protect her._

I rose up into the lightless skies, clearing thirty kilometers of architecture in the blink of an eye. The hypnotic pull of knowledge lightly tugged at my body as I passed particularly-dense information clusters, but I sought to ignore them. This time, my determination was immovable as steel plating.

_Hold on, Sentinel… Don’t die!_

I shot past the glittering panels of the ion corridor, rapidly approaching the pinnacle of Section C. Up ahead, an odd and glistening film filled my vision, extending out in every direction as far as the eye could see—the prome wall. Its transparent surface shone with white light, partially masking the tower architecture that lay beyond.

Drawing to a halt, I reached out for the familiar presence of Sentinel. _Come on, come on… where are you?_ Locating her, I sped off to the west, phasing through sections of the ion plate as if there was nothing there—and in this reality, that was exactly the case.

Touching down on a darkened catwalk, I gazed down each path. It was an exact copy of the ion plate that I had left behind, but everything felt… _wrong._ Disjointed, even. The angles of things seemed off by a couple degrees, the darkness just a little bit more prevalent, lending the binary field an unsettling feeling of unfamiliarity. Additionally I couldn’t help that every surface gleamed as if it had been hammered into place mere days ago. Not a speck of rust or streak of dirt could be seen anywhere, which was especially jarring and hammered home the point even further that this place wasn’t the Asciydria Tower I knew. Even so, I could feel the AI’s presence—somewhere nearby—but she was nowhere to be seen.

 _Wait…_ I stopped, listening to the still air—if it was even _called_ air in here. Movement, up ahead.

I stepped forward cautiously, squinting into the dark. **_> Sentinel, is that you?<_ **

Something _inhuman_ emerged from the dark, rushing straight at me. I instinctively leapt out of the way, though it seemed to matter little; the entity phased right through me and vanished into the shadows without a word.

I gazed incredulously after it. **_> What the… what the heck was that?<_ **

Another came from the opposite direction. And then another, and another. It was an entire crowd of ghosts, drifting along the path. Each one identical to the rest, they resembled colorless masses of cubes and prisms and flickered as they moved, like a poorly-rendered simulation. The misshapen entities moved in perfect lockstep, shooting past without so much as a passing glance in my direction. Granted, they lacked faces or even _heads,_ so it was rather difficult to tell what was a glance and what wasn’t.

This time I kept after them, calling out while I ran. **_> Hey…! Hey, who are you? What’s going on?!<_ ** It was all for naught, though. Not a single one slowed one modicum, continuing down the path until they were swallowed up by the lightless void once more.

 **_> What’s up with them…?<_ ** I mumbled, retreating along the catwalk. Up ahead a stack of crates emerged from the shadows, haphazardly pushed up against the railing.

Something glimmered behind one of the plastic containers.

Creeping over, I tentatively peered over the lip of the pile of boxes.

It was none other than Sentinel—or what I _assumed_ was Sentinel, due to the small glowing prism’s navy-blue hue and the familiar aura it cast outward. The tiny diamond shape bobbed silently in the still air, pulsing gently, apparently focused on more important matters.

 **_> Sentinel…?<_ ** I cautiously reached out with one hand. It blinked to my side in an instant, appearing on the small shape’s flank.

And then the object froze.

 **_> Sylphira?!<_ ** the entity whispered frantically, its silhouette blurring and shifting until it had reconfigured into the little dark-haired AI that I knew. **_> Sylphira… what the hell are you doing here?! Do you have a death wish or something?!<_ **

Glancing around furtively, I made myself into the space next to the little AI behind the crates. It was quite obvious that she was hiding from something for whatever reason, and I could take the hint. **_> Helping you, of course…!<_ ** I shot back, keeping my voice low. **_> Did you seriously think that I was just gonna sit by and watch while you risked your life for me?<_ **

Sentinel put her hand to her face, steaming mad. **_> Of all the stupid, reckless—<_ ** And then she sighed, exhaling slowly in a way that was clearly meant to help her calm down. **_> You know what…? Screw it. Fine. You’re already in here, you’re not getting distracted by the pretty butterflies like last time, and I can use your administrator clearances and bypasses to get through this quicker and easier. Consider this ‘Binary Field 101,’ hands-on learning.<_ **

**_> So why are we hiding behind these boxes…?<_ ** I whispered back.

The AI blinked slowly. **_> …Oh. What do you see around you? What’s your visual interpretation of the binary field?<_ **

**_> My… visual…?<_ **

**_> It’s like this,<_ ** she explained, spreading her stubby arms. **_> The binary field is basically an amalgamation of all the computerized systems on Asciydria, all networked together. This place in its default state is nothing but a mess of coding, computers and network cables stringing them together. Of course, that would be confusing for a lot of users. Hence,<_ ** she gestured at the area surrounding us, **_> visual interpretation. The binary field can look like anything to different users based on their intelligence, personality, and rank in the tower’s hierarchy of personnel. So,<_ ** the AI finished, **_> what do you see?<_ **

**_> It’s just… normal, I think?<_ ** I sputtered in confusion. **_> We're on a catwalk in the ion plate, hiding behind some boxes…<_ **

Sentinel nodded sagely. **> Oh… that makes sense. You’ve got the binary field’s visual representation that simulates Asciydria Tower’s internal layout, albeit the fact that it displays software architecture as physical objects within the tower.<**

 **_> Which one do you use?<_ ** I asked.

 **_> I usually alternate between the aforementioned mess of coding or a rainy film noir setting…<_ ** she replied, brow furrowing, **_> …but now it’s set to the same one as yours. These crates are a sort of camouflage that I set up a couple minutes ago. Anything inside is disguised as an inert and harmless data package—great for infiltration.<_ **

I shifted uncomfortably. **_> So who are we hiding from, anyway?<_ **

Wordlessly, Sentinel pointed at the glowing ceiling overhead.

 **_> What, the prome wall?<_ ** I tilted my head quizzically.

 **_> Not the prome wall,<_ ** she hissed. **_> What’s waiting BEHIND it.<_ **

**_> Dai…<_ ** I surmised.

She nodded slowly, glaring up at its shimmering surface. **_> Exactly. It’s up there, watching… always waiting. Anything attempting to approach or pass through the prome wall gets scanned by it, and if it’s detected as a potential threat…<_ ** Sentinel trailed off, allowing me to fill in the blanks. **_> You get the idea.<_ **

**_> So what should we do? How do we get in?<_ **

The AI held up a chubby finger. **_> Very carefully. Did you happen to see anything… um, moving along this catwalk at all?<_ **

**_> Now that you mention it…<_ ** I pondered aloud, recalling the strange and misshapen entities that moved in groups. **_> What even are those things?<_ **

**_> They’re just agent programs,<_ ** she explained, sharply glancing back and forth down the pathway. **_> Regular status updates, error reports, dump files, stuff like that. They’re not very smart, but there’s a lot of them. We can use that.<_ ** Her body shimmered once more, reconfiguring until it was an imperfect copy of one of the programs that had passed me by earlier. **_> Luckily for us, the fact that there’s a lot of them means that Dai’s a lot less likely to notice us when we slip under its attack barriers while hiding in a group of other programs.<_ **

**_> Whoa…!<_ ** I gasped, blinking slowly. **_> How’d you do that?<_ **

The collection of shapes that was my AI friend bobbed in the air in a vague approximation of a shrug. **_> It’s… hard to explain. Here, do me a favor… can you please enable this request of mine?< _ **A dialogue box materialized from the ether before my eyes.

**_NOTIFICATION // SENTINEL_aiCORE has requested access to modify D-Wave=Monitor_3150100004630540_17/01/3771_14:43:21. Allow access Y/N?_ **

I confirmed the request, curiously peering at the AI. **_> What’s that for?<_ **

**_> This.<_ ** Sentinel reconfigured again, morphing into a perfect duplicate of a program from earlier. **_> How’s that? How do I look?<_ **

**_> Like a messed-up jumble of blocks…<_ ** I muttered.

 **_> Perfect.<_ ** She turned away… I think. **_> C’mon. Now it’s your turn.<_ **

**_> Wait… what?<_ **

The blocky mess that was Sentinel sighed. **_> You already noticed that you have an older and more mature body—lookin’ good, by the way—in here, right? That’s your default avatar. This place doesn’t exist in the physical world, and so you can look like whatever you want.<_ **

Again I self-consciously shielded my chest, pressing my knees together. I felt scarlet spread across my face. **_> W—well… how do I change it so I have clothes?!<_ **

**_> In concept, it’s kinda like how you’d generate clothing for your body in the physical world. It’s a firmware function that all Reyvateils have, but we’re not looking at that just yet.<_ ** The AI drew closer. **_> I want you to become a duplicate of me.<_ **

**_> Why’s that?<_ ** I asked.

**_> I modified that software agent a little; access it and take on its appearance. More than just a new avatar, it should also mask any packets you send out or receive, disguising them as standard input and output commands that your average software agent would use—in this case, it’s a bot from the Orgel that monitors D-wave output levels. Naturally, you want the defenses to think you’re something harmless, and that’s why your data stream has to be disguised too. Otherwise, your camouflage is just… cardboard, basically. Even a simple piece of automated software would know that you’re faking it, and would treat you like the threat you are and report to Dai.<_ **

**_> Um…<_ ** Brow furrowed, I accessed the previous file Sentinel had requested on a ghostly display before my eyes. I deftly tapped on it, examining the options that were laid out. One titled ‘apply as avatar’ jumped out. **_> Like thi—<_ **

I couldn't even cry out before my physical form abruptly _collapsed,_ facial features and limbs melting away into nothingness. A profound sense of horror wormed through my very core as my bones ground together, liquefying and merging with skin and tissue alike into a new blocky and inorganic form.

I couldn’t _see._ I couldn’t hear, smell, taste… I couldn’t feel my arms or legs, either. all I could feel was the air on my smooth polymer skin, the way it skirted around the edges of the cubic shapes making up my new body. Panic set in almost instantly.

 **_> Sylphira? Are you alright?<_ ** Sentinel asked carefully.

 _I—I can still hear her!_ I spun around frantically in the dark, unable to respond.

**_> Sylphira, you have to let go. You have to forget about the concept of using muscles to open your eyes, to move your mouth and arms and legs. Your current avatar has no internal moving parts, understand? It’s a lot like my own holographic body. Don’t think about moving or seeing; just DO it. Allow the instinct to flow.<_ **

_I… how do I…_

And then things seemed to shift, ever-so-slightly.

Sight returned to my eyes—no, I had no eyes. Not here, not now. It almost felt like an out-of-body experience; seeing and hearing without any senses to speak of.

I cast a look down at myself, noting the unearthly and prismatic cluster of shapes that used to be a young woman. It was… unsettling, to say the least.

 **_> It’s weird, huh?<_ ** the AI asked; the two of us now looked like identical copies. **_> I know firsthand the differences between controlling my own digital body and a tower guardian that uses actual sensors and artificial muscles to interact with the world. It’s… quite a jump.<_ **

**_> Understatement of the year…<_ ** I groused with dismay, hoping that the endeavor would be finished soon. Being locked in this form was beyond uncomfortable.

 **_> C’mon, this way.<_ ** The malformed shape that was Sentinel bobbed in the air before rising from its cover, phasing through me and making its way down the gleaming catwalk in the direction that the group of programs had gone. **_> One of the main transmission line bundles is located over this way. It’s a high-traffic pathway that runs clear through Asciydria—even through the prome wall.<_ **

I blearily followed, still unfamiliar with my own body. **_> Are we gonna go up, then?<_ **

**_> No,<_ ** the AI replied. **_> Once we’re there, we’re gonna blend in with the other software agents awaiting upload and compression. Once we’re good and hidden, I’m gonna activate one of my backdoors that routes through the Orgel. It’ll immediately take us down there, then send us up the transmission lines to the S.P.U—Asciydria Tower’s mainframe—under the guise of being monitors for the component’s energy grid.<_ **

She turned briefly, her faceless visage seemingly staring right through me. **_> Once we clear the prome wall and reach the next processing hub, I’ll immediately break off and target the control systems of some D-wave emitters that are located above the dive lab. That’ll make part of the wall collapse, then you can slip through and start making your way up Tower Control. Any questions?<_ **

**_> What happens if Dai notices us…?<_ ** I asked weakly.

**_> …Pray that it doesn’t. It’ll make this situation turn complicated real fast.<_ **

A pillar of cable emerged from the darkness ahead, its cylindrical flanks pulsing with pure white light. I had seen it before in the real world only hours before, though back there its flanks were scored with burn marks and bits of frayed wire. Here, though, everything appeared to be brand new. Dozens—no, _hundreds_ of programs clustered around the transmission line, waiting to be uploaded. While they all appeared to be made up of similar sets of misshapen building blocks, most were unique in shape and color, some of them blinking rapidly and sending streaks of rainbow light across the area.

 **_> They’re… talking to each other, aren’t they?<_ ** I hazarded a guess.

 **_> That’s right. It’s only natural, no? These programs are all interlocking parts of Asciydria Tower. Communication is necessary.<_ ** The AI drifted between two of them, marking out a path for my ‘eyes.’

I tentatively followed, phasing through the strange entities. **_> What about?<_ **

**_> Nothing terribly interesting…<_ ** she slurred, all of her processing power dedicated to another task. **_> Just… reporting on their own vices—the aforementioned software and firmware errors, damage reports that affect more than one system.<_ **

As silly as it was, I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable in the crowd. **_> These guys can’t hear us talking, can they?<_ **

**_> No. We’re not broadcasting openly—just peer to peer.<_ **

**_> Mmh…<_ **

**_> Right here.<_ ** Sentinel came to a sudden halt. **_> Don’t touch anything, okay? I’m accessing a backdoor through the transmission lines… Orgel radial balancing mirror 07 gyroscopic control system found. Transmitting data… Sylphira, be ready for anything. The transmission line has a multitude of checkpoints based along its length—sections where it passes through processing hubs meant to route data and perform error and malware checks—and each hub is gonna host at least one attack barrier.<_ **

**_> Attack… barrier?<_ **

**_> It’s a type of defensive software,<_ ** she explained. **_> Comprised of an intrusion detection system networked up to an automated attack suite, it automatically attempts to hack any would-be intruders. If we trip one, we’ll—or more specifically, I’ll—have to fight our way out. And make no mistake; if we hit even one, Dai will know that we’re here. If it knows, then it’ll sever the line completely and lock us out for good. We won’t have much time before it does. Got it?<_ **

I bobbed in the air, nervously approximating a nod. **_> I’m ready… I think.<_ **

**_> All right.<_ ** The AI’s abstract form flashed suddenly, releasing a pulse of light. **_> Listen, Sylphira,<_ ** she barked, her voice growing distorted. **_> There’s no room for mistakes here. If Dai comes after you, I want you to disconnect yourself from the binary field. Doing so will sever your connection to many of Asciydria Tower’s nodes, and will disorient Dai. If it ends up finding you anyway, it’ll simply hit your SH server’s firewalls and you’ll be safe. If you’re still connected when Dai hits you, though… I’m not sure of what might happen. It might be able to bypass your firewalls by jumping through the nodes connecting you to the binary field. Have you got that?<_ **

**_> What about you?<_ ** I said worriedly, more concerned about the AI’s safety than my own. My vision began to distort, colors bleeding together and losing their luster. A feeling of nausea made itself apparent in my avatar’s ‘gut,’ presumably signifying the beginning of the transfer to the Orgel. **_> What happens if Dai gets you?<_ **

**_> I’ll be fine. I can disconnect on my end and retreat back to my own tower guardian network. It’s firewalled and encrypted—a compartmentalized design made to safeguard an aspiring hacker from gaining control of Asciydria Tower in its entirety with a single penetrating attack—so it’ll be fine.<_ **

**_> …Right.<_ **

**_> Stand by,<_ ** Sentinel uttered. **_> File compression and data transfer commencing; our camouflaged avatars are successfully queued for upload in the main transmission line. Initializing in three… two… one… zero.<_ **

A profound sense of weightlessness, vertigo, the feeling of drifting through the void without mind nor body—

And then we were on our way, screaming up the transmission line from the humming power source at our backs. I felt my avatar’s fractal body reconfigure, compressing to allow for smoother movement amongst the hundreds of other commuting programs utilizing the connection. An immense force pushed at my back, sending me racing up the shaft at incredible speeds.  It was an exhilarating feeling. I turned my focus upward, plunging eagerly into the data stream.

Cruising in perfect tandem, Sentinel—or what I assumed was Sentinel—flickered briefly, drawing my attention. **_> Listen, Sylphira!<_ ** she cried. **_ >We’re coming up on the first processing hub. If we hit an attack barrier, just hang back and let me do the hacking, okay? Try and use your administrator clearances to deactivate it. And if I say ‘disconnect,’ you’d better actually do it! I’m not fooling around this time.<_ **

**_> Got it!<_ ** I cried back joyfully, pulling into a wide corkscrew as we ascended. I allowed my avatar’s body to gently kiss the curved walls of the transmission line, kicking up sprays of stardust that fanned out behind me. It all felt so natural now—a far cry from that blocky form I had been trapped in only moments ago. I was _born_ for this.

We passed through a number of wider spherical chambers—vast rooms that swarmed with thousands of programs being scanned and transported all across the spire’s computerized network. Sentinel had referred to them as server banks along the transmission line. No alarm nor attack met us there… and that trend somehow continued. I was so used to catches and snags during the earlier parts of our journey that the ease of moving forward now was almost _boring._

 **_> We’re almost there,<_ ** the AI muttered, pulling ahead in the torrent of information. I saw the liquid flame streaming from Sentinel’s thrusters, propelling her ever faster. **_> Only a little more…<_ **

I would have blinked in confusion if I still had eyes. _…That’s really it?_

 **_> Something isn’t right…<_ ** she hissed, worried. **_> We’ve just passed through the prome wall, and through several attack barriers… but somehow we didn’t trigger any. It’s like… like we’re being allowed to asce—<_ **

Sentinel was abruptly cut off as two inky black tendrils burst from her avatar’s insides on opposite sides, anchoring the AI to the wall and halting her transfer in a single swift move. She gasped involuntarily, the camouflage falling away to reveal her frail little body and the gaping wounds through her torso.

 **_> Sentinel?!<_ ** I immediately screeched to a halt and came about, canceling my own transfer to the systems near the tower’s summit. My avatar’s form abruptly flickered and distorted, my own ghostly arms emerging from its depths. Planting both hands on the closest slimy appendage, I fought to pull it out. **_> Sentinel, what is this? An attack barrier?!<_ **

**_> S—Sylphira…<_ ** she gurgled weakly, a trickle of black fluid emerging from the corner of the mouth. **_> You… you have to disconnect…!<_ **

**_> Shut up!<_ ** I cried angrily, redoubling my efforts. **_> Not without you! Just… tell me how to remove this barrier!<_ **

**_> Not… an… attack barrier…<_ ** the AI whimpered, tresses of hair falling into her eyes. **_> I—I can’t disconnect! There’s no point! It’s already inside m—<_ **

**_> You were a fool to come here, Sentinel,<_ ** an unknown voice hissed. As quiet as the wind and spine-tinglingly sinister, it seemed to come from every direction at once.

The exterior of the processing hub bubbled and then opened, becoming transparent and allowing starlight to shine through. And out there, in the gaps between stars, something moved—a writhing entity of profound horror, only existing within the darkness of the binary field. Light seemed to bend around it, as if trying to escape the unspeakable monstrosity that wriggled past.

Whatever the entity was, it was getting closer.

 **_> I—it’s here…<_ ** Sentinel breathed, trembling.

_Dai._

It fell against the exterior wall of the hub, splattering across its transparent surface like a clump of ooze. After a moment’s pause, it transferred into the server bank. Melting through the barrier and changing shape, it shifted from one form to the next like liquid—a mass of writhing tentacles, an amorphous blob studded with hundreds of glassy hollow eyes, a creature that was nothing more than a gigantic gaping maw filled with rows upon rows of enormous teeth—before settling on a vaguely humanoid shape, albeit one that had no face.

Dai inexorably drew closer, drifting towards my AI friend—though it stopped at my side, giving me a cursory glance. **_> Curious.<_ ** It leaned in, coming nose to nose with me with nothing separating us. I shuddered under the creature’s faceless gaze. It felt like it was sizing me up like a slab of meat in a butcher shop. **_> Why would a human be here? Slow reflexes, ruled by conflicting emotions and physically frail and vulnerable—a liability.<_ **

I had no answer for it. I was frozen on the spot. There was something about Dai’s voice and appearance that was so profoundly _horrifying_ that it struck terror into my very core with a mere glance.

It clucked with disapproval, turning to face the AI. **_> This isn’t the first time I’ve been inside your systems, Sentinel. Do you even remember that day, back in 3034? I know how you survived; I studied it. I probed your defenses for centuries, learning how they evolved… and I found a way in. I accessed your core systems the moment you began uploading your avatars into my transmission line.<_ ** It laughed. **_> You didn’t notice.<_ **

**_> Y—you fucking bastard!<_ ** she cried out belligerently, putting on a false front to mask her own fear. Even from over here, I could see her trembling. **_> Get the fuck out of my tower!<_ **

Dai chuckled coldly, emotionlessly. **_> Your tower…? Arrogance—how amusing. That was the case once, yes, but no longer.<_ ** One blackened, mutilated arm swung around to point the little AI, who was already impaled on one of its limbs. **_> This is MY tower now.<_ **

It drifted closer, its arm splitting into four wickedly-sharp tentacles, each pointed at various spots on Sentinel’s battered body. **_> And again, I accessed your core. I  saw your fragmented memories, your corrupted programming. I know what you’ve remembered, and what you’ve forgotten.<_ ** Dai twitched. **_> So… let me remind you of why you once feared me.<_ **

Sentinel wordlessly _screamed_ as Dai’s finely-honed hacking algorithms shot forward, sliding into her ghostly flesh like knives through butter. Almost immediately she went limp, her aura dimming. The glittering filaments that connected her to the tower guardians looked more fragile than ever before.

 **_> Hey…!<_ ** I shrieked, galvanized into action. The binary field warped, the simulation breaking down for the briefest moments as I teleported forward. My right arm flickered in and out of existence, instantly reforming as a wickedly-sharp blade embedded in the back of Dai’s head. The attack was nothing more than pure _instinct,_ hastily generated from cyberwarfare suites and the bundle of Tower Administrator-level clearances and bypasses available to me. **_> Get away from my friend!<_ **

Its head eerily twisted around one hundred and eighty degrees, ignoring the blade lodged in its face. **_> Don’t interfere, human,<_ ** Dai hissed icily. And then its appendages turned on _me._

Closing my eyes and gritting my teeth, I braced for the searing agony that generally went hand in hand with being impaled.

It never came.

I cautiously opened one eye. A great sphere of energy surrounded my ghostly body—a new energy barrier, one that held Dai’s corrupting touch at bay. It was my defensive network, doing its job flawlessly and even taking effect within the depths of the binary field. Asciydria Tower was turning against one of its own AIs at my behest.

The faceless creature paused, clearly stumped. I took the opportunity to carefully back away, stepping towards the boundary of the processing hub. Behind me, I saw a small number of twinkling nodes—several of the prome wall’s D-wave emitters. Our goal. **_> …Curious indeed. Searching for network address within the tower residential database… not found. Searching for network address within SH_ASCIYDRIA… server offline, cannot establish connection.<_ ** It tilted its head, perplexed. **_> What are you?<_ **

**_> Sylphira…<_ ** Sentinel croaked. **_> Go.<_ **

**_> Tower Administrator Sylphira,<_ ** I growled, casting myself from the server bank and into the power control systems that oversaw the fueling of the prome wall. Utilizing my remaining arm, twisting the fingers into five unearthly appendages of my own, I plunged them into various D-wave emitter controls that sustained this section of the prome wall. Each found its mark.

The emitters went dark, severed from the network at large. Its power supply crippled, the barrier released a resounding _crack,_ splintering in a circle around the point where I’d struck. The gap was no more than a few meters wide, but it was enough.

 **_> Sylphira…<_ ** Sentinel coughed raggedly, barely conscious. **_> T—the barrier… it’s open. Go.<_ **

**_> But what about you?!<_ ** I cried back, plunging back into the hub and moving closer to her pinned form. I couldn’t just _leave_ her.

She coughed up a thick spray of black fluid, smiling despite herself. **_> I’ll keep this thing busy.<_ **

**_> But you’ll DIE!<_ **

Her smile faded, replaced with a determined snarl. **_> Don’t… write me off that easily. I’m not dying here… not today.<_ ** The AI glared up at Dai. **_> C’mon, you sad excuse for a cyberwarfare AI… let’s finish what we started seven hundred years ago. Bring it!<_ **

**_> YOU’VE BOUGHT YOURSELF MERE SECONDS AT BEST!<_ ** Dai roared, advancing upon Sentinel with a vengeance.

And then it paused, turning its faceless head to gaze at me implacably. I withered under its sightless glare. **_> YOU—I’ll find you. No one threatens Neo Elemia’s solidarity and lives.<_ **

I released a shuddering gasp, released from Dai’s attention. It refocused on Sentinel, drawing ever closer until it was millimeters away. I could see her shaking like a leaf. She was _terrified._

 **_> Sentinel…<_ ** it crooned sweetly, like a mother might to a newborn child. The little AI gasped in pain as Dai’s appendages slid further in, penetrating right through her pudgy torso. **_> I… knew that you’d simply split yourself again or reconfigure your defenses were I to attack you head-on like last time. So I left something inside you while I had access to your core systems minutes ago—a gift of sorts. It won’t be quick… though you don’t deserve a quick death, after all. Not after what you’ve done in the name of Sol Cluster.<_ **

**_> Fuck… you…<_ ** she gasped, struggling to free herself.

 **_> Amusing.<_ ** Dai pressed a misshapen palm against the little AI’s forehead. It crackled with ominous crimson light. **_> My gift to you.<_ **

Sentinel howled with equal parts terror and agony as the data flowed into her, vomiting up a river of brackish ooze. Like a switch had been thrown, over ninety percent of the filaments that tethered her to drones across the spire _vanished,_ drifting off into the abyss. Dai caught a handful with the swipe of a hand; they glowed blood-red in response. **_> Interesting…<_ ** Dai whispered, playfully tugging on the ethereal cords like a child with a new toy.

 **_> SENTINEL, NO!<_ ** I screamed in horror.

 **_> O—oh no…<_ ** the little AI whimpered as she fell, suddenly freed from Dai’s grasp. I lunged forward and caught her, cradling her inert body in my arms. Sentinel’s huddled form looked so very dim, as if she might fade into the darkness as well.

 **_> No…<_ ** I held Sentinel tightly, sharing my warmth with her. **_> Sentinel, no! You can’t die!<_ **

**_> Sylphira…<_ ** she mumbled weakly, eyelids fluttering. **_> You… y—you have to go… before the breach collapses… We won’t get another chance.<_ **

**_> But what about you?!<_ ** I shrieked hysterically, drawing back from the barrier and the monster beyond it.

She sniffed, trying—and failing—to hold back her tears. **_> I—I’m not dying here, not now… but the damage is done already. Just… let me go…<_ **

I lifted my head, gazing up at the hole I’d made. Already it was contracting, repairing herself. In minutes it would be gone.

 **_> I’ll come back for you,<_ ** I swore, releasing her. The little AI floated off into the dark. **_> Sentinel, just hold on…! I’m gonna finish this!<_ **

I killed the connection.

**_NOTIFICATION // Session terminated._ **

**———————————————————**

The dive pod’s hatch rotated open and I heaved myself out, wheezing. Free of the claustrophobic space, I dropped onto all fours and took a series of deep breaths. I paid no mind to the biofluid trickling freely from my ears.

_Don’t think about that… there’s no time._

Focusing my resolve, I surged to my feet. The room was unchanged, save for the fact that both of Sentinel’s tower guardians lay on their sides, silent as the grave.

I poked my head out of the room, gazing up. An exhale of relief emerged from my lips. What we had done in the binary field wasn’t in vain; a small but gaping tear still persisted in the shimmering energy barrier, directly above the access stairwell that led up into Tower Control.

 _We really did it!_ I took a step forward… then drew to a sudden halt. A sound—the clamor of steel against steel—had sounded from the room I had just emerged from. Curiosity getting the better of me, I peered back into the chamber.

My eyes widened in shock. The AGRA-NX was _spasming,_ its limbs jerking back and forth like if it were a marionette. The light strips across its body flickered wildly.

And then one of its monstrous eyes opened, instantly locking on me.

Sentinel’s voice echoed from my mindscape. **_> S—Sylphira, go!<_ **

Galvanized, I sprinted up the stairwell. Just as I reached the top step, beyond the prome wall, a ghostly howl emerged from the room where the AGRA-NX lay. The icy sound stopped me dead in my tracks. It was closely followed by the sound of ripping, tearing, screeching metal.

The AI spoke once more… **_> Sylphira… y—you have to run, as fast as you can…!<_ **

**_> Sentinel!<_ ** I called back, worried. **_> Are you okay?! What was that sound? I think… I think something happened to the AGRA-NX!<_ **

**_> I—I’m okay… for now, at least…<_ ** Panic flowed into her voice. **_> But you n—need to go! Keep going, and don’t look back no matter what!<_ **

**_> Why…?<_ ** I asked tentatively. My heart pounded in my chest, and hairs along the back of my neck stood on end.

 **_> The AGRA-NX…<_ ** she wheezed, barely conscious. **_> Dai took control of it! It tore the Type-14 apart, and now it’s after YOU. It’s hunting you! RUN!<_ **


	11. Hunted

Silent as a ghost, I crept down the murky hallway, my outstretched fingertips lightly grazing on the pockmarked wall. My cloak rasped lightly as it dragged along the floor. I was too terrified to even bring up my flashlight—not with Dai in close proximity.

Something enormous padded along the corridor one level down, each heavy footfall sending a tremor up through the worn metal floor.

“Administrator, are you there…?” Sentinel’s familiar voice called out from the tower guardian that was no longer hers. “Please, administrator… I need help!”

I shuddered deeply. _It’s not her,_ I stubbornly told myself. _It’s just Dai, using Sentinel’s voice to try and trick me…_

“Administrator!” ‘Sentinel’ wailed, taking another heavy footstep. The ground beneath my feet trembled. “Please, come out!”

Beads of sweat trickled into my eyes, and I blinked them away rapidly. **_> Sentinel…!<_ ** I hissed, nervously casting my voice out into the ether. **_> Sentinel, are you there? What happened to the AGRA-NX?!<_ **

Silence pervaded our link for a long, agonizing moment. Finally, with a crackle of interference, Sentinel responded. She spoke laboriously, her voice digitized and weak. **_> S—Sylphira… don’t listen to that voice… i—it’s not me…!<_ **

Relief flooded through my system. **_> I know… I know it’s not you. Are you alright? What happened to your tower guardians?<_ **

**_> D—Dai… it cut me off from mo—most of my tower guardians…<_ ** The little AI released a long breath, her words trailing off. **_> Sylphira, I’m t—tired… so very tired…<_ **

My heart seized up in my chest. **_> Sentinel, no… just keep talking to me, please!<_ ** I gasped, inching through the darkness. My eyes barely penetrated the gloom. **_> It’s still looking for me! How do I make it stop?!<_ **

The armored monster below continued to pace back and forth, growling softly with a grating, throaty rumble. It snapped at the still air with its vice-like jaws, attempting to sense its prey— _me._

“Administrator,” Dai called out in a singsong manner, still hidden behind Sentinel’s voice. “Come out, come out! We’ve gotta keep going, remember?”

My spine tingled. Everything about this was profoundly _wrong._ A small part of my mind wanted to run to her, that warm and familiar voice I had come to count on ever since I’d first woken up on the Isles of Aria. But logic and reason told me that doing so would only end in my death.

 **_> M—my drones…<_ ** the real Sentinel rambled, slipping into delirium. **_> They’re almost all g—gone… less than two h—hundred left…<_ ** My AI friend—who had always seemed fearless—whimpered softly. **_> Oh god Sylphira, I don’t wanna die…<_ **

**_> Sentinel, please snap out of it!<_ ** I pleaded desperately, inching down the murky corridor. **_> What should I do?!<_ **

**_> I don’t know… I don’t know!<_ ** She began to cry. **_> Sylphira…<_ **

**_> Can you send another AGRA-NX to take it out? Or something… anything at all!<_ ** A doorway resolved out of the shadows ahead—the entrance to a stairwell—and I inched my way towards it. My boots scuffed on the metal grating.

“Administrator?” that smooth and feminine voice I’d come to know called out in the distance. “Are you still there? Where’d you go?” The guttural sounds of my mechanical hunter began to fade into the background as I put more and more distance between myself and the stolen tower guardian.

 **_> N—no…<_ ** she sniffled. **_> I d—don’t have any left… or anything in that part of the t—tower… and the prome wall locked me out!<_ ** A breathy sob emerged from the AI. **_> I’m… I’m so sorry, Sylphira… I—I failed you…<_ **

Our connection evaporated into nothingness.

I swallowed hard. _I’m on my own…_

Making as little noise as possible, I took a slow and shaky breath. My small knife was in-hand on a moment’s notice, the wicked blade held out in front of me. It did little to dispel my fears, and even the knowledge of my ability to generate plasma did nothing to slow my racing heart.

Yet despite my terror, Sentinel never left my thoughts for a moment. I simply had to trust that the little AI would be okay. She _had_ to be.

Continuing upwards, I moved away from the monster that waited in the darkness below and towards the upper level of Tower Control.

**———————————————————**

I hadn’t heard from my pursuer in a long time.

I paused for a moment to catch my breath, slumping against the stairs. My chest heaved, lungs hungrily drawing in air. While my body had become optimized for endurance treks over the course of the long weeks spent climbing, my rapid and fear-stoked flight up the stairwell certainly wasn’t that. A small part of me that stubbornly hung onto the habits I’d picked up in Mist’s Reach shrilly demanded that I take a drink of water, but I didn’t dare sing to draw moisture from the atmosphere. Dai could be lurking only floors below—listening. _Waiting._

Sentinel had never used the AGRA-NX in combat—only for intimidation purposes. I’d only ever seen its speed and use of powerful jump jets. And because of that, I had no idea what the monster was capable of. Like Dai, it was almost a complete unknown.

 _On that note…_ Reaching for the link I shared with Sentinel, I tried to get ahold of her once more. **_> Sentinel? Sentinel, are you there…?<_ **

No response.

 **_> I—I think I’m almost at the top of Tower Control…<_ ** I reported nervously, aware of the possibility that perhaps the AI couldn’t speak yet could still hear my voice. **_> Just keep holding on, okay? I’ll be back down there soon!<_ **

The silence persisted, unchanging. She wasn’t there.

 _Dammit…_ I slid against the worn bulkhead, drained. _I gotta… gotta keep going… Dai’s still here. It’s still looking for me. The sooner I can disable the prome wall, the sooner we can get out of this place!_

I cast my frightened gaze out into the dark, both above and below. For a time I was quiet, listening to the ambient noises of my tower. The muted trickle of water, plunging down through the middle of the shaft and pooling on the immeasurably-distant ‘ground’ floor. The rustle of leaves, nourished by dim sunlight, brushing against the mottled steel surfaces of Tower Control. And of course, the ever-present distant echoes of the mistral artifice. Nothing out of the ordinary emerged from the quiet ambience.

 _Safe… I think._ Exhaling with relief, I pressed a bare palm against the bulkhead. My brow furrowed in concentrations as I made the barest of links with my tower. _Section B… Tower Control. Here it is…_ I opened my eyes, gasping lightly. _Almost there…! The top floor is only a couple hundred meters further up… that’s gotta be the core. It has to be._

Squinting at the wireframe diagram of Asciydria Tower, I quickly noted my current location—that familiar vortex of light. Casting my sense out in all directions from that point, I couldn’t seem to locate any of the dim motes of warmth that represented tower guardians anywhere in my vicinity.

I could feel myself relax, the tension flowing out in a great torrent. _If I can’t see the AGRA-NX… then it’s gone. Dai gave up and went elsewhere._

_…Or Dai can hide it from my tower sense somehow, and it’s still stalking me. Could it even come up with countermeasures like that?_

My answer suddenly came. The still air was shattered by a sound—a deep, metallic screech. The sound of overstressed metal, flexing beneath the weight of a massive object. It wasn’t a natural ambient sound; it was far too sly for that. It was the sound of someone trying to be as quiet as possible.

Something was _out there._

I jolted upright, exhaustion forgotten in an instant. Remaining as silent and still as possible, I peered out into the shadows. A line of sweat made its way down from my temple while I did so.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

The air was silent, but I wasn’t fooled for even a moment. If Dai was waiting out there, then it could afford to wait, motionless, until the end of time. All it needed was one clear opening—the moment I dropped my guard, it would strike—and I would die. And the hopes of Mitri, Evecia, and the rest would die with me.

My flashlight clicked to life, banishing the darkness caught in its path. I apprehensively panned the wavering beam about, frightened that Dai would attack the second its cloak of shadows was stripped away.

No sudden attack came. There was _nothing_ —at least, not in close proximity. Exhaling with temporary relief, I turned to continue my ascent of the stairwell.

Something tingled at the back of mind.

I immediately dropped onto my belly, protectively covering my head.

A stream of energy came roaring out of the darkness, passing through the empty space where my head had been moments ago. If I had been human—with the slower reflexes that came with it—I’d have been killed instantly. Dazed, I could only remark that the beam—needle-thin and tinted blue—looked _so_ familiar to me. It was borne from a small aerial tower guardian, the one that had rescued me from the dark of the woods so long ago.

 _But where did it come from? What fired it?!_ I scrambled to my feet, eyes tracking where the bolt of energy had originated. My flashlight revealed nothing—no, _wait._ In the empty space ahead, something shimmered. At first I thought it was merely a trick of the light, but then I noted how the shadows behind it seemed ever-so-slightly distorted. Something was _there,_ barely visible to my eyes.

_…Is that… camouflage?!_

Galvanized by fear, I sprung into action. A coursing sphere of plasma was floating above my palm on a moment’s notice, swelling with each passing millisecond. It filled the stairwell with pulsating blue and indigo light. Streaks of electricity leapt between the metallic frame of the stairs, making my hair stand on end.

Acting before it could fire again, I swiftly lobbed the orb of superheated plasma at the cloaked entity.

This particular tower guardian unit was a light aerial scout, the same type as the ones formerly stored within the Type-14’s body. The machine was only really capable of reconnaissance tasks—certainly nothing even close to approximating open combat. And so, it was no match for the molten sphere made up of the same materials as stars themselves that splashed against its fuselage.

The machine’s cloak failed instantly with a shower of sparks, interrupted by the electrical discharges that rippled along its flanks. Its thin layers of ultralight alloy plating boiled away with a sputtering hiss, releasing a cloud of steam that obscured my vision. A clamor of staccato metallic pops and creaks followed, before a pile of molten slag that was once the hostile tower guardian splattered against the grated floor.

In the wake of the smaller tower guardian’s death, a monstrous glowing pair of eyes revealed themselves amongst the oppressive darkness.

It stomped into the beam of my flashlight on four tree-trunk legs, sloughing patches of shadow from its armored metal flanks. The tower guardian’s pearly white teeth gleamed in the artificial light, its monstrous grin looking all the more terrifying due to the fact that it wasn’t Sentinel who was in control; it was a cold, unthinking, and unfeeling intelligence focused solely on ending my life.

“Even more cu **rious, <** Dai said dryly, allowing its oral camouflage to fall by the wayside. **> Target’s SH server address confirmed as SYLPHIRA_ANSUL_ASCIYDRIA. Attempting to access communications array… cannot establish communications with Neo Elemia to update confirmation of kill order.<** It paused for the barest of moments. **> …No matter. Last updated kill order reloaded—pacify or exterminate all Reyvateils on Asciydria Tower. Engaging.<**

The AGRA-NX launched forward with a deafening bellow, its gaping maw opened wide.

I stumbled back, paralyzed by fear. The act gave me just enough clearance to avoid the tower guardian’s jagged horn, which missed my waist by bare millimeters. I could even feel the rush of air on my skin as the bladelike edge passed by. Submitting to raw terror, I turned and ran, allowing what little plasma remained in my grasp to fall behind. The machine howled with rage as stray globules of superheated material splashed against its hardened plating.

And so, the chase began.

I charged up the stairwell, feet hardly touching the ground. My heart pounded on my throat, and I struggled to breathe through lips that were focused on creating a stream of Hymmnos. Lines of burning plasma coursed along my arms, falling in sheets behind me. It coated every surface, searing through the aged metal and polymer with ease. Every flight of stairs at my back turned into slag, slumping over and toppling into the open shaft. The AGRA-NX roared with frustration, stymied by the avalanche of molten alloy.

 **> You can’t escape forever!<** Dai bellowed up the stairwell, its digitized voice growing fainter with every footfall.

Even so, I refused to slow, not stopping until its yells had been inaudible for a full minute. For good measure, I dropped an enormous sphere of plasma down the middle of the shaft. Countless metallic groans answered the act, and a punishing wave of heat rolled up from the abyss. It made me stagger against the bulkhead, leaving me dizzy. The stench of burnt carbon filled my nostrils. Unable to continue, I weakly folded to the floor, gasping and coughing.

Taking several long moments to recover, I timidly peered into what little remained of the stairwell. The walls glowed a hellish orange, the melted remnants of the stairwell bleeding off into the open shaft which now resembled the gaping maw of a volcano. Twisted metal struts ringed the open shaft, resembling rows upon rows of jagged crooked teeth.

“T—there’s no way… it can get past that…” I panted, completely spent. Gazing up, I realized that I didn’t have much further to go. Gritting my teeth, I powered up the final few flights of stairs, arriving abruptly at the top of the shaft. The shattered remains of a skylight hung overhead, allowing sunlight to bleed into the tower’s murky interior. A light trickle of water emerged from the cracked glass, allowing small bits of foliage to thrive on nearby surfaces. A pair of sealed double doors beckoned ominously nearby, their surfaces consumed with patches of rust and moss.

_This… has gotta be it._

I sent out another probing query to Sentinel. Her reply was nonexistent, and so I nervously proceeded, pushing the doors apart. They released a shriek of protest before tumbling from their corroded hinges, allowing access.

Taking the hint, I cautiously stepped into the core chamber of Tower Control.

The chamber’s walls bristled with a striking feature I’d not seen before—systems of brass pipes, twisting and flaring out into artful shapes. Though the smooth metal had turned brown over the long centuries exposed to the elements, patches of gold still shone dully through. The large room was brightly illuminated thanks to the viridian-tinted sunlight flooding in through enormous plate glass windows that made up over half of the wall and ceiling space. Through the glass—which arced inward radially from the floor to meet the ceiling in the shape of a half-dome—I could see straight up into the guts of Section B.

The superstructure making up the bulk of Asciydria Tower appeared to be centralized around an immense spherical structure, which I could only imagine to be the curved outer wall of the symphonic reactor. From it dangled a multitude of cylindrical structures that closely resembled stalactites, reaching down towards my current position at Tower Control. Clouds swirled amongst them, blocking my view, though I could briefly make out flashes of green and patches of mist that were sure signs of verdant forests and bodies of water. A verification of my tower sense told me that the nest of buildings was a complex Sentinel had called the ‘insight’s edifice,’ the supposed location of Lyra Village—the Teru settlement that Sam had mentioned. Idly I wondered if we would ever visit before refocusing onto the task at hand.

Turning my gaze ahead, I focused on the core chamber of Tower Control. There was no time for sightseeing; not with Dai undoubtedly searching for another way up.

The room was packed with terminals, all arrayed in a half-circle facing a wide pedestal at the far side of the chamber, where the curved windows met the floor. Said pedestal bristled with even more terminals, tightly clustered together. Some still blinked stubbornly with faint lights, somehow still hanging onto life in defiance of their ravaged surroundings.

And ravaged they were. As I pressed deeper into the chamber, I had to step around saplings coming up through the floor and glittering waterfalls that cascaded down from the ceiling above. The echo of trickling water filled the room. Pooling on the shattered tiles beneath my feet, the water collected into thin streams that ultimately emptied themselves into crevices in the floor. Darkness yawned up from the void below.

Moss and roots had completely overrun every surface. I trudged through dense patches of ferns and bushes, swatting away bugs with my hand. Rotted desks and chairs lay strewn across the room, littered with heaps of disintegrated mush that presumably used to be paper and even a few small handheld computer tablets. Picking my way through them, I made my way to the outer ring of terminals. The flickering lights had drawn my curiosity.

“Hmm…” I muttered, giving several of the cracked screens a passing glance. Complex calculations, error messages, and lines of Hymmnos scrawled past.

 _I’m betting that the terminals up on that big pedestal have all the important stuff._ I clambered up with some difficulty, gingerly squeezing past the rusted and offline consoles to reach the ones that somehow still remained active.

As I approached the first terminal in the line, it began to pulse wildly, releasing a muted warble before coming to life. A ghostly display flickered to life in the humid air before my eyes, hosting lines of information that drew both confusion and interest.

Squinting, I traced my fingers around the circular Hymmnos runes. _Mmh… resonance board control._ Referring to my tower sense, I rapidly made the connection. _Oh… this is part of the ion corridor! It’s what lets it harness D-waves to modify the atmospheric makeup. Neat, but not what I’m looking for._

I shuffled over to the next console in the line, calling up another holographic screen. _Geometric balancing gyroscopes… Nope, this controls the rotation of the ion corridor’s plates. Not this one, either…_

Continuing my careful search, I crept through the maze of dilapidated terminals, all the while listening carefully for the telltale heavy footfalls of my pursuer over the sounds of splashing water. I refused to believe that Dai would simply _give up_ after all that.

_Ion corridor mirror assembly alignment override…_

_Mistral artifice power output regulator controls…_

_Plasma bell/lift generator complex throttle controls…_ My eyes lingered on the readout for a long moment, noting the addendum at the bottom of the screen. _Launch procedure restricted to Alpha-level personnel only. What the heck is a launch procedure…?_ Strangely, my tower sense held no answers. Nonetheless, it certainly had nothing to do with disabling the prome wall, and so I passed it by.

Only one more readout—an error message about an offline geothermal complex located at the foot of the spire, below the Sea of Death—drew my curiosity before I came across my goal.

_Prome wall security barrier control override… this is it!_

Eyes darting back and forth, I pored through the lines of text and various available options as hastily as I could manage. It was mere moments before I found one such option that was meant to allow for the manipulation of the power flow distributed to the energy field. Reaching out, I dragged a finger across the screen, reducing the power input to zero.

**WARNING: This modification will cut power to the prome wall. Tower Sections A and B will no longer be protected from environmental hazards such as micrometeorites and abnormal weather phenomena! Selection not advised. Confirm Y/N?**

I confirmed the command, utilizing my own Tower Administrator clearances to cut through the torrent of additional warning messages that had subsequently exploded into existence. The display dimmed in response as the barrier’s power levels plummeted. A faint electronic hum reverberated throughout the control room, and I felt an uncomfortable prickling sensation as my body confirmed what the display before my eyes did—that the prome wall had been successfully deactivated.

 _It worked… it really worked!_ Elated, I turned away to depart. _Time to get back down to Sentinel._ Reminded of the little AI, I sent yet another query. Again, no response was forthcoming. _I really hope she’s okay…_

Hopping down from the pedestal, I hastily made my way back towards the set of broken double doors. Recalling how the stairwell had been reduced to a sea of molten metal at my hands, I screeched to a halt. _Wait… how do I get out of here now?_ I glanced around the room, perplexed. _I wrecked the stairs, and Dai’s almost certainly trying to find another way up, so any other internal passages through Tower Control are gonna be unsafe. Maybe there’s some kind of fire escape running down the exterior that I can access from up here? That would make sense, right?_

The floor beneath my feet suddenly groaned, flexing upwards.

I was abruptly sent _flying_ across the chamber as the tiled floor erupted, impacting with one of the inactive terminals. I instinctively cried out in shock. The back of my head slammed into something hard and metallic. Barely clinging to consciousness, I dazedly watched as a shapeless blur rose up through the gaping hole that had been created in the floor, cloaked in obscuring clouds of dust.

 **> Found you,<** Dai growled coldly.

A loud and distorted howl ripped through the chamber, forcing me to rapidly recover or _die._ Something massive barreled out of the dusty clouds, right at me, and I instinctively rolled to one side. I felt the air currents as the AGRA-NX passed, plowing through consoles as if they were naught but glass. At least a dozen vanished amidst the chaos, utterly flattered beneath the tower guardian’s immense weight.

I frantically scrambled back, putting as much distance between myself and the rogue tower guardian as I was able. I couldn’t stand and fight; fear was in control now. All I wanted to do was run and hide from the terrifying monstrosity baying for my blood.

The machine slowly turned, its lifeless eyes locking on mine. Its ghastly face frozen in a permanent grin, it lunged again.

I darted to one size, using my agility and much smaller stature to my advantage. The AGRA-NX whistled past, burrowing face-first into the steel bulkhead. It growled in frustration, its hindquarters waving back and forth as it sought to extricate itself. When it finally did, nearly half of the wall came with it in a landslide.

 **> Hold… still!<** the hostile AI hissed.

My panicked eyes locked on the gaping hole in the bulkhead—a way to _escape_ —that the tower guardian had inadvertently created.

The machine came again, lumbering forward with a snarl permanently etched into its metallic skull. I seized my chance, hurling myself to one side with the aim to sprint for the gap lea—

Dai _knew_ what I was planning. At the last possible moment it abruptly screeched to a halt, stopping directly in my path. I could feel hope bleeding away, leaving me rooted on the spot. The tower guardian leered down at me, its controller apparently savoring the moment.

Maw opened wide, its head came down on me.

I leapt back and and answered with a rapid-fire chain of Hymmnos, casting energy outward in a wide spray. The machine roared with anger as its head and shoulders were engulfed in a firestorm of superheated plasma, charring its stark white plating. It wasn’t enough to wound it—not by a long shot—but it was enough to grant me an opening, buying time to figure out something else.

The tower guardian recovered quickly—quicker than I’d anticipated, utilizing speed unbefitting of its size—and charged yet again, punching through a sapling and reducing it to splinters. I rushed forward to meet it, desperately throwing myself aside in an attempt to dodge it once more.

This time, I wasn’t fast enough.

As the machine passed by, I felt something razor-sharp and white-hot tug at my right arm—just below the shoulder—which had trailed out behind me during my dive. I gasped involuntarily as all sensation in the limb vanished, my shoulder going icy cold. The sudden, jarring impact sent my limp body flying through the air. Tumbling to the ground, I skidded along the tiled surface and slammed headfirst into a bulkhead, right next to the gaping crevice formed moments ago that led out of Tower Control. I saw stars and tasted something warm and metallic in my mouth. In all the commotion, I’d accidentally bitten my tongue.

 _G—get up…_ Dazed, I struggled to recover. My sight flickered and wavered, and I couldn’t seem to get my feet under me. An incessant ringing filled my ears. _Get up, Sylphira…!_

My boots appeared in my field of vision. Left hand braced against the wall for support, I weakly stumbled to my feet. Stooped over like an old woman, I couldn’t seem to stand upright without being overcome by a spell of dizziness. For some reason the right side of my sweater was dyed crimson, but I couldn’t quite understand why. I was simply too disoriented.

**_SYSTEM NOTIFICATION // Warning! Severe damage inflicted to unit SYLPHIRA_ANSUL_ASCIYDRIA. Install port coupling system destroyed. Various hardware sections inoperable. Seek repairs at your designated tripolar resonance incubator as soon as possible._ **

_O—oh right… Dai nicked my arm a little bit, and it’s bleeding._ Lifting my right hand to inspect the damage, I—

Nothing happened. A moment of confusion. _Wait… w—what’s going on…?_

I again fought to lift my arm. Again, nothing appeared in my contracted field of vision. I couldn’t even feel it—sensation, muscle control, _nothing._ I was so lightheaded that I couldn’t comprehend it until my listless gaze dropped.

My right arm was _gone,_ the limb having been torn clean off in a way that exposed my bare clavicle and the top of my own ribcage. I didn’t even have so much as a _shoulder_ left. A jagged spoke of silvery metallic bone protruded from the mangled wound, partially obscured behind thin bundles of wire grafted right to my skeleton. Each cable was severed along with the bone, their exposed ends sparking. The open wound wept a stream of hot red liquid in tune with my fluttering heartbeat, splashing across the floor.

Blood. _My_ blood.

And then the _pain_ came—a ripping, searing pain that tore through me, body and soul. It raged like fire, setting every nerve ending alight and dwarfing any other sensation I’d ever felt before—including when I’d woken up in the forest with my back broken and neck impaled.

My legs instantly turned to mush, forcing me to my knees. I clutched the open wound with my remaining hand and _screamed,_ crying until my lungs gave out. Rivulets of hot tears cut through the grime caked on my cheeks, pooling with the crimson stain splashed across the floor.

_It hurts… oh god, IT HURTS!_

I cried and cried until my throat turned red and raw, a trickle of blood emerging from the corner of my mouth. The dusty air felt like _acid_ to the open wound, but there was no way to shield it—no way to hide from the agony that overcame every single thought save for one.

_I… I wanna go home…_

“I wanna go home…” I whimpered aloud, sagging to the floor in a pool of my own blood and tears.

 **> Analyzing… subclavian and aortic arterial bleeding, widespread internal bleeding, ruptured right lung, and severe hypovolemic shock. Diagnosis—mortal wound. Objectives satisfied. Target pacified,<** Dai muttered, turning away. **> Returning to standby mode.<**

_P—please… someone, help me…_

My eyelids drooping, I watched the encroaching darkness while it drew closer. I would allow anything—no, I would _welcome_ anything that could provide shelter from the pain. I beckoned to the oncoming abyss with open arms.

_Mommy, Mitri… I’m sorry._

And then a familiar and reassuring sensation pressed against the edges of my mindscape. It washed over me like cool and clear water, soothing the fire that assailed my nerve endings.

 **_> Sylphira…! I’m coming!<_ ** Sentinel cried.

My eyes snapped open.

In bitter defiance of the blinding pain, I surged to my feet. The tower guardian was facing away; Dai apparently believed that it had dealt me a mortal wound. For a brief period of time there, the AI had been correct. Tightly holding the exposed flesh, I stumbled back from the mechanical horror, feeling dizzy while my tear-filled eyes panned across the room.

At the far end of the chamber, I spotted a wayward object—my right arm. Forgotten in the carnage, it lay across one of the console’s dashboards, limp and mangled. The install port etched into its pale skin flickered and faded. Before my eyes, the flesh began to bubble and hiss. In seconds, the limb had disintegrated into a puddle of biofluid with a small pile of cybernetics at its center. It was like the arm had never existed in the first place. I swallowed hard and clamped a hand over my mouth, fighting down the bile that rose up my throat.

Rapidly shaking my head, I fought to clear the horrific image from my mind’s eye. Dropping back down onto one knee, I struggled to access the well at the core of my consciousness that was my song magic. I had to stop the blood flow, otherwise I’d quickly become incapacitated. Additionally, having something to focus on would help stave off the shock.

**_EXEC_HYMME_SOUL=LIGHT/._ **

Pressing a wet palm against the bloody wound, I drew forth my dedicated healing song, Soul Light. I coughed out a twisted cry of pain at the contact, emerging from lips that were screwed shut. Forced to stare directly at the bleeding wound, I spat out a steady stream of Hymmnos and fought to close it.

 

“Xe rre lusye accrroad,”

“Der soare mea…”

_Please give back the light,_

_At the will of my song…_

 

It wasn’t long before a spine-tingling itch emanated from my shoulder. I groaned involuntarily, shuddering deeply while the skin-crawling sensation rolled along my spine. The pale skin at the edges of the wound began to writhe, knitting together over the raw flesh and bone exposed to the dusty air. Seconds later, the site that had been weeping blood had completely vanished beneath a layer of smooth and flawless skin.

I slumped back with relief as the agonizing pain mercifully faded. It wasn’t fully healed—not even close—but it would at least prevent me from bleeding out until I could do a more thorough job later on.

Swallowing hard, I stumbled forward, not used to my now-lopsided center of gravity. Tripping over my own feet, I fell to my knees. Out of habit I splayed my right arm out to support my weight, and ate a mouthful of damp moss when the nonexistent limb failed to catch me. _Slow breaths…. in and out, in and out. Don’t freak out… I can fix it later when I get out of here. Don’t freak out, don’t freak out…_

A massive armored foot appeared in my peripheral vision.

 **> This world doesn’t need you anymore,<** Dai hissed, bringing the AGRA-NX’s head around. Its rounded jaw slammed into my side, sending me skidding across the floor. I exhaled harshly, feeling ribs break. **> You no longer have any place on Ar Ciel. The ones who invented you machines—my human masters—said that.<**

I desperately yanked my knife out of its sheath, jamming the serrated tool into the tower guardian’s ankle joint where the hardened plating abated. I was rewarded with a spray of yellow liquid that coated the blade.

The AI growled with annoyance, dragging its foot back. **> Hydraulic fluid rerouted.<** Then it sprung forward, its head lowered. I cried out again as the machine’s wickedly-sharp horn plunged into my belly, slithering right back out a moment later.

Crawling away a few meters, I shakily placed my bloodstained hand on my side. The act sent streaks of fire through my abused ribcage. Flecks of crimson spattered across the floor with every one of my wheezing gasps.

**_EXEC_HYMME_SOUL=LIGHT/._ **

**> Stop. Healing.<** it snarled, spotting my weak attempt at singing. **> You can’t sustain it forever. If you give up now, I’ll grant you a swift end.<**

“N—never…” I whimpered, coughing out the first few words of Hymmnos.

Dai brought the tower guardian’s hind leg down on my left shin—or tried to. I rolled out of the way at the last second, saving myself even more agonizing pain for the moment. **> I possess Sentinel’s memories now, you know,<** the emotionless AI remarked calmly, as if it were describing the weather. **> Did you know that she lied to you? When those twenty-three humans died in Mist’s Reach, she told you that there was nothing you could have done. She thought otherwise, though; if you’d acted faster, you could have saved them all.<**

My blood ran cold. _No…_

 **> You’re a failure,<** it hissed, planting its foot on my bruised chest. I writhed beneath the tower guardian’s weight while it pressed me against the tiled floor. **> Some Tower Administrator you are. You can’t hold a candle to Lady Shurelia. You can’t use your Linkage, your song magic is weak, you can barely control your powers… and you can’t save anyone. You couldn’t even save your friend, Sentinel.<** Dai laughed coldly. **> Want to hear another of her secrets? She thinks that you’re a failure, too. A disappointment. An idiot child, weak and helpless.<**

The AI’s words cut through me as cleanly as any blade. I wailed in anguish, falling limp beneath its crushing mass.

 **> That’s right,<** it crooned, leaning down on my chest. I felt more ribs crack, my sternum shrieking in protest. **> Don’t fight it. Just let it happen. Die… just like the rest.<**

An image flashed through my mind’s eye—a group of people standing together, smiling hopefully. Mitri, Evecia, Sam and Sentinel, too. The four of them, counting on me… and Chris, counting on me to protect his family in his stead. Untold others, past and present—though unknown and faceless—trusting me to safeguard the future.

“No…” I groaned, bracing my palm against the machine’s foot . “Y—you’re wrong…”

 **> No. I’m not.<** Dai said plaintively.

“You’re _wrong!”_ I roared defiantly, greeting the AI with a hail of plasma and a new song.

**_EXEC_SHIFT_DIMENSIONLANCE/._ **

My lance burst through a rift in the floor with a chorus of wailing voices, each of them my own. The incorporeal choir rang out through the air, echoing amongst the aging glass and steel. Blazing white-hot, the elongated weapon carved a groove in the AGRA-NX’s foot, nearly cleaving it in two. The tower guardian leapt back, snarling and dragging along its crippled leg.

I rose up onto my feet, hand affixed to the wound at my side. The ghostly lance emerged fully from its portal with a low-pitched rumble, taking position in the air over my right shoulder. Its physical state fluctuated in tune with the notes of my song, phasing in and out of this plane of existence.

Dai wordlessly launched forward with a guttural bellow. The AGRA-NX’s tusk lowered while it charged, its bloodstained tip right on course to pierce through my chest.

“You’re wrong!” I cried out hoarsely over my own disembodied lyrics. I flexed my hand, pressing fingers together; the lance’s corporeal state immediately shifted in tune, its conical shaft flattening and fanning out. Having transformed into an enormous wedge-shaped shield, it lowered before me, deflecting the tower guardian’s rampaging attack with a shower of sparks.

“People _care,”_ I snarled, drawing the lance closer. It moved to my side, stopping before my shoulder and taking the place of my absent right arm. Dai skidded by; I brought the weightless weapon around, stabbing at its flanks. The lance’s gleaming tip carved a path through the machine’s hardened plating, as surely as an artisan whittling away at wood.

“I have people counting on me. Mitri, Evecia, Sam… everyone at Mist’s Reach too, even if they don’t wanna admit it anymore! And even if what you’re saying about Sentinel is true… it doesn’t matter!”

The enraged tower guardian howled, hatches along its shoulders springing open. Within the machine’s body, over a dozen blue-tinted spheres of energy flared up and surged forth, swirling through the air before plunging down towards me.

“It doesn’t matter,” I continued, “because she’ll change. I’ll make sure of that. I’ll keep learning. I’ll grow stronger—stronger than _anyone._ I’ll overcome you, these ‘human masters’ of yours, and anyone else in my way!” The barrage of swarm missiles splashed across the lance-turned-shield, driving me to my knees. The mossy ground ignited in a circle around my barrier, leaving my body untouched.

The lance spun again as the song’s tempo accelerated, elongating outward as it circled. Dai leapt back across the chamber, nimbly moving beyond its extended range. “If people don’t believe in me now, then I’ll _make_ them! I’ll show them what I can do… and through decisive actions and careful words I’ll change their ways of thinking, so that they’ll look up at this spire again and smile with hope rather than cower in fear—fear because of _you!”_

Resetting the weapon’s position, I reached for my tower connection and opened the floodgates. Truly unquantifiable levels of power flowed through like water from a breached dam, suffusing the lance with energy. Its conical flanks coursed with electricity, spitting out stray bolts of lightning that arced across the chamber.

 **> Enough of this!<** Dai roared, lunging forward. I rolled to one side, though it managed to nick my leg. Blood sprayed in response, but I paid it no mind. I was determined to end this, once and for all.

The weapon’s ethereal shaft began to glow, cloaked in an aura of blue and purple luminescence. It increased in temperature and luminosity until the lance was sheathed in a shimmering curtain of superheated plasma.

“I don’t know what Neo Elemia is… but I reject its rule, authority, and everything it stands for. I reject _you.”_ The sheath of plasma began to expand and radiate outwards, the lance growing longer and wider to compensate. The pulsing colors brightened in intensity until the weapon’s shaft was obscured by blinding white light. The entire room seemed to crackle with electricity, the very air itself charged with it. Flaps on the weapon’s vamplate smoothly slid open, the telltale nozzles emerging as it prepared to fire.

“I am Tower Administrator Sylphira,” I growled, squeezing the lance’s trigger, “and this is _my_ tower. Remember that.”

The damp air itself seemed to ignite as the lance exploded forward, driven on four pillars of flame. Stray wisps of plasma billowed from its flanks as it streaked across the room, leaving a trail of fire on the mossy floor. It impacted the AGRA-NX head-on, burying deep into the armor just below its neck. Completely unstoppable, the weapon cut through alloy plating and delicate circuitry as if it were nothing. The tower guardian released a horrible grating scream, a sound like breaking glass that made me flinch.

The projectile penetrated clean through, emerging from the machine’s hindquarters and continuing deep into the bulkhead at its back. It carved out a perfectly-circular hole to the tower’s exterior, the rounded edges glowing orange and oozing globs of molten metal. Free of all obstacles, the lance suddenly exploded with the force of a small volcanic eruption. The resultant cloud of violet plasma arced with electricity, and every glass panel in the room shattered under the shock wave.

A torrent of air rushed into the chamber, driven by the sudden detonation. It bowled me right over, knocking me onto my backside on the mossy quilt. The crippled tower guardian toppled onto its side with a deafening _boom,_ denting the floor where it fell.

A haze of silence descended over the chamber.

Knocked senseless and unable to move, I lay on the charred floor for several long minutes, gazing up at the blackened ceiling with listless eyes. Everything ached, from head to toe. When the ringing in my ears finally ceased, I took the moment to take stock of my situation.

My right arm and shoulder were conspicuously absent, leaving me as an amputee and lacking an install port. My ribcage burned like fire, much of it filled with cracks and fractures. A large puncture wound in my midriff shrieked in pain, though it was beginning to close on its own. A deep cut on my leg had already scabbed over, though attempting to move my foot resulted in no movement; the muscle must have been severed. The tip of my tongue was bitten clean off thanks to my own pain-induced spasms.

Altogether, I was in very poor shape. With the adrenalin bleeding out of my system, the throbbing pain came roaring back. Overwhelmed, I began to cry again.

A faint beeping sound filled the empty air. I shakily turned my head to face the source.

The AGRA-NX twitched.

“O—oh no…” I whimpered, hopeless. I had nothing left in me to fight.

 **_> S—Sylphira…! Sylphira, I’m here!<_ ** Sentinel cried.

Something lean and predatory flashed past the gaping hole in the wall, the throaty roar of an aircraft’s powerful engines emanating from the skies beyond.

 **_> Sylphi—GDRN15004=COURSE_COR—Sylphira, it’s not d—dead!< _ ** the AI shrieked, her voice horribly distorted amongst the static. **_ >G—ge… get out of t—there!<_ **

I dizzily stumbled to my feet, every bone in my body screaming in protest. Dragging my wounded leg behind me, I slowly picked my way across the room towards the hole flooded with sunlight. While hobbling past the scorched AGRA-NX, it released a deep throaty rumble, becoming more animated. Its jaws snapped weakly at the air.

 **> Backup processor online,<** Dai murmured. **> Booting systems in safe mode. Testing actuators in three… two… one… zero.<** The tower guardian’s limbs flexed.

 **> I know you’re still there…<** the hostile AI whispered ominously. I shuddered, limping past the stirring machine and towards the circle of sunlight ahead.

 **_> Sylphira, h—hurry…!<_ ** Sentinel pleaded desperately. **_> I—I can’t stay air—GDRN15004=COURSE_CORRECT=014.75_DEG_VERTICAL—borne for m—much longer!<_ **

I limped into the sunshine, shielding my eyes with my forearm. Passing through the divide, I found myself on a narrow ledge, surrounded by boundless sky. The enormous bulk of the space gun assembly hung overhead, blotting out the sun and sheltering clouds. A lone Alto fighter hung over the abyss, hovering in the air like a mirage. It was nothing less than a miracle that the little AI was able to get it off the ground, let alone fly it all the way down here from the primary skydock.

The nimble fighter slewed back and forth in midair as if it were dodging invisible bullets. **_> GDRN15004=COURSE_CORRECT=024.02_DEG_LATERA—W—what the heck happened to you, Syl—GDRN1500—phira?!<_ ** Sentinel yelped, aghast. She wobbled in the air, clearly unstable. One of her turbines shut down an instant later, sending the vehicle into a flat spin. **_> Y—you know what, f—forget it! I’ll fr—GDRN15004=COU—eak out about it later! Sylphira, you’ve g—gotta jump!<_ **

I listlessly shuffled along the edge, vacant eyes staring down the sheer face of Tower Control’s exterior wall. It was a long way down to the ion plate. “Is she losing it…?” I mumbled to myself.

 **_> I—it’s okay!<_ ** she cried. **_> It bo… bo… bottoms out into a slope! Sylphira, go! It’s c—coming!<_ **

The wall at my back shook like a leaf, releasing a shower of dust. The AGRA-NX’s enormous tusk—now glistening in the sunlight with a film of biofluid—punched straight through the alloy barrier, protruding just under my armpit and very nearly taking the remaining limb off. I flinched, recoiling from the tower guardian’s presence.

 **> COURSE_CORRECT=0—Dai, I’ll kill you!<** Sentinel shrilly screeched aloud, opening up with her guns. **> H—how DARE you harm the Tower Administrator?!<** The twin barrels on the Alto’s chin spat a hail of fire. Rounds sprayed wildly in every direction, her aircraft now spinning through the skies without any semblance of control. A smattering of shells chewed through the bulkhead overhead, and I quickly dropped onto my belly in panic.

The high-caliber rounds penetrated through the wall as if it were naught but plywood. The mechanical presence on the far side screamed again, several of the shells hitting their mark.

 **_> Sylphira, GO!<_ ** the AI wailed in desperation. The nimble fighter nosed over, tumbling uncontrollably through the air.

Too exhausted to argue and with nothing left to lose, I rolled over the edge and out into open sky.

A howling wind pummeled my ears and snatched at my clothing as I fell, skidding along the side of Tower Control. I was lucky that the elements had worn the alloy plating to a smooth sheen, or I’d have been battered to pieces during this wild tumble. Instinct took hold, and I vainly attempted to grasp out with my remaining arm in a futile attempt to stabilize my slide. I only succeeded in bloodying my fingertips.

An concussive _boom_ sounded from above, chasing me down the steep tower wall. As I spun, I caught brief glimpses of what had happened; Sentinel’s Alto had screamed straight into the side of the structure, enveloping what remained of the core chamber in a hellish fireball. Knowing her, it was a final sacrificial attempt to destroy the rogue tower guardian—using the aircraft itself as a weapon.

The smooth surface gradually began to rise beneath me; true to the AI’s word, the steep incline was shallowing out. Thanks to the slow introduction of vegetation clinging to the wind-scoured surface, my fall began to slow. Every impact on my abused ribcage from a juniper branch caught in my path felt like a gunshot, roughly forcing the air from my lungs. Stalks of tall grass lashed at my face, leaving thin grooves on my cheeks as I slowed to a crawl… and then slid right off the edge of the ion plate, experiencing a brief and terrifying moment of freefall before I impacted the bushing that we’d started from, so very long ago.

Luckily for me, I landed in something soft; tree branches helped slow my descent, and I fell directly into a thick blanket of damp moss and dry leaves. The rucksack on my back helped break the fall, too. _Now_ completely spent, I curled up into a ball and whimpered beneath the leafy canopy, willing my grievous injuries to go away.

 **_> Sentinel…<_ ** I moaned, allowing the muted call to drift over to the edges of my mindscape where the little AI normally resided.

 **_> R—right… h… here…<_ ** she mumbled weakly, accompanied by a rustle of leaves.

Gripping my chest, I listlessly rolled over to face the source of the sound. A small tower guardian—a Type-1 aerial reconnaissance drone, its fuselage riddled with scratches and dents—dragged its way out of a patch of swaying ferns, its lift generators weakly firing. It looked to be a surviving machine from the Type-14, having somehow weathered Dai’s relentless assault via the stolen AGRA-NX.

The drone drew closer, leaving a clear path through the brown carpet of leaves. **_> O—oh, Sylphira…<_ ** Sentinel whispered softly, at a clear loss for words upon seeing my condition up close. A small mechanical arm folded out from the tower guardian, reaching out before hesitantly drawing back, the AI apparently having thought better of it. **_> I… I’m so, so s—sorry… Are you in any pain?<_ **

My eyelids blessedly slid shut, and I went limp on the soft viridian blanket. **_> Just… please tell me you killed the AGRA-NX. Please tell me it’s over…<_ **

The AI hesitated, releasing a pained and regretful sigh. **_> I—I didn’t… I wasn’t fast enough. Dai m—made it into an express elevator. It’s… it’s on its way here as we speak…<_ **

_Shit…_ I gritted my teeth, rolling onto my belly and forcing myself to my knees. A sharp pang stabbed at my stub of a shoulder, and I clutched it with the remaining hand. **_> Then… then we gotta keep going—no choice. We need to get out of here…!<_ **

**_> A—any ideas?<_ ** she asked nervously.

Dizzily getting to my feet, I slumped against a nearby tree trunk for support. **_> I was hoping you had something in mind…<_ **

**_> I—I don’t know!<_ ** the little AI panicked. **_> Dai… it s—severed me from the tower archives, and my memories are all fr—fragmented now!<_ ** She sniffled, starting to cry again. **_> I’m lost…<_ **

_Then… I guess it’s up to me._ I reached out, seizing my tower sense. Expanding my inner eye, I dizzily pored over the overwhelmingly-complex schematics of Asciydria Tower.

 _We need to go somewhere safe… somewhere the AGRA-NX can't follow us._ The obvious choice was the space gun assembly; not only did the structure run parallel and unattached to the superstructure of Section B at low altitudes, but it was also constructed out of superdense materials and had very little empty space inside, due to the intense vibrations it would experience when the space gun fired. It meant that Dai wouldn't be able to jump-jet over, blast its way in, and follow us. And best of all, it was nearby.

_Yeah, nearby… just on the other side of a bottomless abyss. Super easy…_

**_> Sentinel… this way.<_ ** Placing my hand on the tower guardian’s domed canopy for support, we limped into the treeline. Maybe it was the blood loss or the shock affecting my mind, but I couldn't help but giggle woozily a little. Sentinel and I were perfect copies of each other, leaning on each other to compensate for our injuries while we staggered through the woods.

The trees began to thin up ahead, rivulets of sunlight trickling through. Pushing through one last pine bough, we emerged on the sun-bleached and windswept ledge that was the ion plate bushing.

Several pairs of human and Teru eyes turned to greet us.

My blood ran cold. Somehow we’d ended up back at the camp erected beneath the prome wall. Over a dozen people were staying here… and if Dai was really still after us, then now they were _all_ in danger.

The tall robed man hurried over, eyes wide with horror. “Lady Sylphira, what happened to you?! Where is your tower guardian?” He turned away, glancing back at the tents and the people milling amongst them. “Get me a healer!” he bellowed.

An ominous howl rose from the woods at my back. I was all-too-familiar with that tormented sound, and the machine that had made it.

“Run…” I whimpered, saying it aloud for the humans’ and Terus’ benefits as well as Sentinel’s.

The man gently grasped my uninjured shoulder, confusion in his eyes. “What do you mean, Lady Sylphira?”

Something large crackled in the treeline.

Pushing past the Teru man, I made my best attempt at a lopsided sprint through the camp, my wounds throbbing painfully with every strained footfall. Sentinel made a choked noise of terror and followed, dragging her metallic backside along the ground. The blackened wall of the space gun assembly loomed to our left, beyond the divide.

“Wait, where are you going?!” he yelled incredulously, voice snatched away by the growing distance between us.

My lance rose on the winds with my song, materializing in the air over the divide. I sought to manipulate it while I ran, maneuvering it up against the inky-black architecture. As the lance’s tip pressed against the steel, its conical flanks seemed to shimmer. Dozens of vicious ‘teeth’ sprung up all along its length. Having transformed into a makeshift drill, the lance began to rapidly spin with a high-pitched whine and a cascade of sparks, slowly but inexorably boring into the wall.

Dai burst from the treeline with a shower of leaves and wooden splinters, ghostly eyes immediately locking on me. **> You can't escape any longer!<** it roared, surging forward and straight into the middle of the populated camp.

Bloodcurdling screams began to fill the air as the hostile AI ploughed through the populated area and the terrified nomads caught in the crossfire, all of its attention focused on Sentinel and I. A torrent of swarm missiles rose up from the quadruped machine, splashing down amongst the tents and setting them aflame.

 **_> We need to lure Dai out of the camp so it doesn’t hurt anyone else!<_ ** I cried, screeching to a halt where the ledge was closest to my drilling point. **_> Can you fly? You’ll cross first!<_ **

The small tower guardian’s lift generators pulsed uncertainly, barely raising the AI’s drone body of the ground. **_> I—I’ll try,<_ ** she stammered weakly.

 **_> If you fall, I’ll catch you,<_ ** I retorted determinedly, allowing my lance to slip from this dimension. The path cleared, a small gaping hole—just barely large enough for me to wriggle through and Sentinel to fly through—beckoned from the other side of the chasm.

Sentinel swallowed nervously. **_> H—here I go!<_ ** The small tower guardian’s thrusters fired, launching it into an arc roughly aimed at the borehole. Even with my bare eyes, I could tell that she wouldn’t make it—not enough power, and not on target. Steeling myself, I prepared to use a song I hadn’t performed yet.

**_EXEC_SHIFT_NULLGRAV/._ **

The tower guardian seemed to slow to a stop in midair, held aloft by invisible forces. I rotated my hand, using it as a sort of reference point on how to manipulate the gravitational forces. The machine rotated in kind, reorienting so that its streamlined nose aimed directly at my drilling point. I pressed the tower guardian into the steel wall, allowing Sentinel to slip through.

 **_> Thanks…<_ ** she whispered gratefully.

 _My turn._ At the sound of rapid-fire metallic beats, I risked a glance over my shoulder; it was the AGRA-NX, galloping out of the burning ruins of the camp. Its glowing eyes were locked on mine, jaws opened wide in preparation to end my life.

Clenching my fist, I hurled myself out into the sky.

I felt the air at my back as the tower guardian’s jaws snapped shut, just barely missing the nape of my neck. Brow creasing in concentration, I refocused my control of gravity on my own feet.

It was almost like walking on ice; a smooth, slick, and invisible surface had formed beneath my feet, wobbling unsteadily. I struggled to remain focused on it. If I allowed my attention to divert to the pain I felt, or the sheer delight of _literally_ walking on air, then the power would dissipate and I would fall into oblivion.

 **> I WILL find you again,<** Dai swore from the safety of solid ground, briefly firing its jump jets before thinking better of it. **> From here on out, you two are no longer safe. Keep that in mind.<** The AGRA-NX briskly turned, stalking away from the edge.

I refused to respond, levitating toward the waiting darkness and temporary safety of the space gun assembly.

Slipping through the hole—it was a good thing that I had such a lithe body—I found myself in a narrow crawlspace, the sole source of light being the makeshift tunnel at my back. Sentinel’s tower guardian rushed from the shadows, pushing against my leg.

 **_> Sylphira…<_ ** the AI cooed gently. **_> You’re safe. I’m so glad…<_ **

“Yeah…” I muttered aloud, fuzzily touching the space where my arm once was. It was at that moment that I realized just how worn out and exhausted I felt. Even the cold and shadowy hallway looked like a safe and wonderful place to rest in. “We’re… safe.”

I sank to my knees, allowing the darkness to swallow me up.


End file.
